The lights have finally been turned off at Turner Field but not before the 2016 Atlanta Braves team put a final exclamation point on their wayward 2016 season. Yes, the Braves lost a total of 93 games this season but it is the trajectory of the team which gives hope for the future.

Perhaps we should take just a bit more stock in spring training games as a precursor as to what can be expected of a team’s fortune for the upcoming season. No, I don’t mean a winning record in the respective Grapefruit and Cactus leagues guarantees a World Series berth but it sure has portended the abysmal seasons for the Braves the last two years.

This year’s version of the team lost game after game in Florida and that same losing attitude prevailed for two months, dooming the team of any chance of having a respectable record. The Braves began the season on a pace to lose 116 games. Of course no one really expected Fredi Gonzalez to win a World Series with the collection of misfits he had been saddle with but the team took on a persona of losing. Everyone expected them to lose so lose they did. Even on TV, this team exuded defeat. They were simply playing out the string and it was only April.

When Fredi was released and Brian Snitker was promoted to take his place, no one really expected a big change, after all, he still had the same bunch of players who were going through the motions. The Braves were still woefully short on pitching, even while trading every retread they had rehabilitated for another young long term minor leaguer. Add the fact that Eric Aybar made fans pine for the since traded Andrelton Simmons with Aybar’s deer in the headlights attitude at both the plate and afield. It made fans wonder what John Coppoletta was smoking when he traded away Simba to the Angles.

But something changed, not all at once but the team played a little harder and with more moxie. Youngsters like Mallex Smith brought a spark and Freddie Freeman snapped out of his funk. Ender Inciarte came back from a stint on the DL and the team started playing teams tough. They were still losing but they were playing better and they were in most games right to the end.

The Braves were still playing mix and match with their starting staff and the bullpen had a shuttle service going between the Ted and Cool Ray. Sixteen different pitchers started games for the Braves this season. The bullpen was a disaster in search of a train wreck.

Matt Kemp

But things slowly but surely began to change. Matt Kemp was acquired from the Padres in exchange for persona non grata, Hector Olivera. No one in baseball really gave the trade much notice. The Padres were reducing their liability by sending Kemp off to the East coast. The saber-metric crowd gave a huge ho-hum to the deal as Kemp was thought to be an overpaid has been. Funny how one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. With Kemp in the line-up to protect Freeman, Mr Hugs took off. The entire line up started hitting. The defense was making plays, running into walls, diving for balls, throwing players out at the plate and generally playing like their hair was on fire.

The team started playing like they could not lose. A lot of teams 30 games out of first would just pack it in and make plans for October which did not include baseball but the Braves didn’t. If you did not know the Braves record, you would have thought they were the team playing to be in the play-offs and planned to be in the Fall Classic.

So what do we have to look forward to? The Braves are on the precipice of greatness again. Years when only one spot might be available when spring training begins. Back to the Braves way when one rookie was added to the team to break in slowly to the team loaded with talent. Now talent… Maybe this team is not yet blessed with the same level of talent as some other top tier programs but they do have something else, heart. As it stands now, I can hardly wait for spring training to begin.

nice work gil! i have a young (28) year old buddy at work that is also a braves fan and we’ve been discussing the braves (mis)fortunes for over a year now. bearing in mind that he is barely shaving (lol) and doesn’t have much experience looking at the big picture he’s been very dejected about this team. what i’ve been noticing, and promoting to him, is the fight that this team exhibited, especially since snit took over. these kids did not quit and i take my hat off to them! to finish the last month with a 20-10 record was remarkable and i’m looking forward to hot stove and next season already!

Thanks guys, looks like the storm is going to take a swipe at the Carolina Beaches and then scoot off to sea, Sorry CL but you are still going to get rain… Of course who knows with hurricanes, could still double back.

Now baseball… I watched the tail end of the Toronto/Baltimore game last night, not the finish I was hoping for but not a bad game. Buck Showalter will be second guess for not bringing in Tillman but hey, he managed by the book. Still, I never liked using a starter in relief, I can remember seeing Maddux and Liebrandt coughing up runs late too. Just not their roles.

Great link CL, really a touching insight of things which have influence Snitker. I can see how it has affected his managing of this team. For sure, the players have responded to his light touch with the whip.

Now, if the Braves brass can just avoid the temptation of hiring someone with “star power”. We can all enjoy baseball again for the game it is.

I’m thankful it will likely turn away from us, Gil, but everyone hopes greatly that the wind goes with it. The ground here is totally saturated after all the storms we’ve had. If I recall the number correctly, it’s something like 6 ft of rain this year, most of it in the last couple of months. Mushrooms are growing all over the yard.

Funny, that was the same knock against Leo, tough on young pitchers. Isn’t that the problem when a pitcher tries to go to New York (Yankees) and bombs because they can’t handle the pressure? The sooner a kid learns to withstand the pressure and understand it is not personal, the sooner he will become a success.

That is the problem with today’s kids, they have been coddled too long. Too many “participation” trophies.

Oh well, it’s someone else’s team and their money. I will watch or not..

I will qualify that I still trust the process. The Johns have thus far shown that they know what they’re doing. While I’m a bit surprised about Roger, I’m not privy to the day to day events in the clubhouse.

Wow…I hadn’t heard any rumors of this happening…thanks for 11 years, and rehabbing countless guys …allowing the team to trade guys that had 3-4 good starts in a row for prospects…Remember way back to last year Jim Johnson was great , went to Dodgers, bombed, came back was very good, and just got a 2 year contract with the team?….I wonder if it got to Roger when say Folty , who while big is not Thor sized, throws 98 in the 1st….I seem to recall when Smoltz was coaching some kids last year, (You know kids could ask questions of He and Glavine any time) you say Wisler, and other guys but didn’t see Folty in the group…perhaps I am reading too much into this…perhaps McDowell wants to fill the job in Baltimore of his mentor who just retired…maybe he and Snit didn’t get along….but, if Snit doesn’t get the job , I am going to have a bad taste in my mouth….I will most likely lose it by spring training, but when you have players saying how they hope he gets it, and he doesn’t screw up with the bullpen, like most managers do…gets all the players to hustle, and to play 500 + ball for the 2nd half…and don’t give him a chance….it looks bad. You cannot tell me anyone short of the ghost of Billy Martin (who would have ruined arms to win games) would do any better….

Kinda wondered the same. Snit is there with all of them daily. Who else could give a more accurate assessment?

One more thing, and it isn’t necessarily a knock, just an observation. While Roger has done alot to resurrect the careers of some vets, it is true that our young pitchers have not developed very quickly in Atlanta. In fact, some had to go elsewhere to turn things around.

V, you try voice text to post here? Yes, there will be more spelling/word errors, but I was getting a post….posted in 1-2 minutes that might take 10-15 minutes otherwise…can’t post stats and stuff, but a quick opine is kinda nice to do in 60 seconds….of course, I am typing this post 😛

The thing I have noticed about voice recognition programs is they do not understand a southern drawl… In fact, they do not understand most English spoken by Americans.

What is really funny is using closed caption on the TV and trying to interpret what has been said and what appears on the screen.

Almost as funny as listening to Chip Carey get plays and counts wrong… but I digress… 🙂

What folks should remember, it was Snit who was exiled to Triple A when Bo Porter was hired as the third base coach. Not sure if there was a personality clash with Fredi or what. I guess we will never know until a “tell all” book comes out.

Not sure if MLB has a news black out like they had a couple of years ago when they did not want any distractions from the play-off. Personally, I could use the distraction. While I am not rooting hard and fast for anyone at this point, The teams I have been marginally rooting for have not yet won a game to this point.

I read that about 1/3 of all Americans are boycotting the NFL this season. Count me in that basket of deployables… I still follow collage ball however, it’s a faster game. Not the same level of play but it is a different game. I’ll leave the pros to the bookies….

Thanks, Gil! Boy, am I surprised to find myself at this advanced age!! Honestly, I never expected it. But, family genetics are at work, I guess, along with the magnificent blessing of my Savior! So I’ll look forward to at least another 20-30 years here, unless we’re all snatched out of here earlier.

We’re all battened down for Matthew. We’re now in the purple zone of all the expected conditions, including what is being described as devastating rainfall in the 20″+ range. “Rainfall can be expected in unprecedented amounts that will be far above what residents are accustomed to seeing.” I think it’s time to actually get the Jon boat tied to the back deck! My house has never flooded, but it is included in the 500-1,000 year flood zone. I sill maintain that if we didn’t flood out during Fran and especially Floyd, we never will. Besides we’ve already been flooded by a plumbing failure and that is already crossed off our bucket list, right after ‘house fire.’

Back to baseball: I’ll really be ticked off if Snitker isn’t resigned! The players love him (apparently) and he’s done a better job with what has been handed to him than anyone else could have.

Happy Birthday CL!!! I am sure it’s still your birthday…..west of Hawaii 😛
Or let me be the first to wish you a happy birthday for 2017 😆
Hope it was a good one, and I hope and pray the rain totals are less than they say they will be!

The thing I have noticed about voice recognition programs is they do not understand a southern drawl… In fact, they do not understand most English spoken by Americans.
LOL! It’s the truth, even my midwestern/lived in the south forever dialect it has trouble with too….a friend said to talk like a robot…I feel a bit foolish doing that through

The winds of rumor say it’s still a 2 man race, and that we might not get a decision until the organizational meetings next week. Funny thing is that Snit in his current capacity will be a part of those meetings. I bet I know where his vote will be cast.

Ber, we are doomed by innovation. The best we can hope for is to acquire a skill set which will cause machines to rely upon our continued existence. Of course I hope they have perfected the driverless automobile by the time I will have to surrender my operator’s license. I already hate to drive so to me it would be a real plus.

So, it turns out Donald Trump is a rake… HAHAHAHAHA… All the folks who thought Bill Clinton should get a pass think Trump should drop out… I hate hypocrites. So much fake outrage, so little air time…

What a surprise, a rich white guy who objectifies women… Perhaps he should have declared he is secretly gay… would the outrage been a hate crime… Oh well, the politics will soon be behind us and Hillary can then feel free to screw our eyeballs out with impunity.

At least I won’t have to live to see the complete destruction of this country. My grandkids will inherit the country they deserve. Their best hope is to be able to gt a good price for California from the Chinese.

Vee, my experience with hurricanes is once they have passes, the weather is beautiful. While a huge inconvenience, by next week Florida will once again be open for business. Minus a few trees of course but that will mean more business for the landscapers etal.

I cannot see what all the confusion is about over whom to hire as the manager for 2017. Snit did not make it easy for the Johns to justify someone else to lead the club. How dare him have the audacity to actually get this bunch to play hard for him. Still, that has never been a real deterrent to those who wished to bring in their own guys.

Okay, the Cubbies won last night so the play-offs were not a complete bust for me. Boston and Texas are on the precipice of elimination. So much for being regular season powerhouses.

So, it turns out Donald Trump is a rake… HAHAHAHAHA… All the folks who thought Bill Clinton should get a pass think Trump should drop out… I hate hypocrites. So much fake outrage, so little air time…

I know, shocking, right? As you all know, I am NO Donald Trump fan….but, but….the only chance this country has is to elect yet another Egomaniacal leader…at least unlike the dip in office now, He does love his country….I think all these b.s. attacks may eventually bring some of the nevertrumpers into the fold….11 years ago, he said something in a private conversation that was naughty…well, Bubba “allegedly” raped at least 1 woman…that trumps everything ever done by Trump unless and until we hear he did something like that…which I doubt…
But this is ALL the Lame stream is going to talk about…even Fox , even noted Trump butt kisser Hannity lead with this (well the weather actually lead off the broadcast) but all the email stuff that came out against her is actually the bigger story, the real news of the day….but in the bizzaro world we live in, private conversations 10-20 years ago are the real concern of the world

So, in our uber political correct world, everything we have ever done can mean we will disqualified from everything we wish to do… Sigh… no wonder the Islamic radicals are winning.

Now baseball. I’ll be rooting for the Cubs this year. Does that doom them to failure?

Starting reading an interesting book called 1921. It’s about the 1921 Yankees and how the Black Sox scandal didn’t really hit the fan until 1921. Lots of shady characters that owned baseball franchises and the politics of baseball. You just cannot get away from it….

It was a shame Ted Turner did not attend the final game at the Ted but I guess he is still carrying a torch for the team he was snookered out of. Funny how rich people can be so liberal. I guess they think the pols will not take their money away from them.

They are probably right, the politicians would rather squeeze it out of poor schmucks like me.

Still hanging in there, Gil. Lots of wind right now that is worse on the back side than it was on the front side. Lots and lots of rain, though not as much in my immediate area as was forecast. I think the shift in Matthew’s track dumped the majority in Bladen and Cumberland Counties just to my northwest. Attaching a bit of video that you and Miss Josie may recognize. The Brunswick beaches have been hit pretty hard, I understand. Not hearing from the New Hanover beaches yet. The high Carolina Beach bridge that links it with the mainland was closed at 2.30 this afternoon because of the rising wind. Probably won’t be open until sometime tomorrow when the winds drop.

Hoping Chris has come through it unscathed. So many millions are without power, I feel almost embarrassed to still have power but cable and internet, as well. The way it is flickering, though, it makes me feel like it could go at any second. The wind is really rockin’ and rollin’ out there!

If you are interested, you might want to google the WECT TV site in Wilmington for other photos and info.

People are outraged with words from Trump’s past for which he has since apologized, yet give Hillary a pass for all her crimes of which she continues to deny.

It’s a weird world when speech is given greater weight than actions.

Folks continue to ask how a Christian man can vote for a candidate of obvious moral vacuum. I simply answer with 5 words: future of the Supreme Court.

That’s my primary focus. I want my children to live in the Land of Opportunity, not the Land of Distribution.

And so I compartmentalize his sins. By the way… I’m a sinner too, forgiven by God’s grace alone. I pray daily that Trump will recognize his own shortcomings and seek God’s forgiveness. And it may surprise you to know that I pray for Hillary too. Obama too. We all need Jesus. That’s where all our future hope truly lies… not in any man or woman. No matter who wins man’s election, God is still on His throne.

Wise words, Raisons. And he spoke those words took place ELEVEN years ago.

I think I see a real change in his face now. He commented himself that he has had his eyes opened since he’s been campaigning, being close to (my words) regular, ordinary people and how we live, our thoughts, dreams, worries, etc. I posted a video on fb that tells so much about the man he is becoming.

Nobody is perfect, but I honestly think he is the man for the job at this point in time. God does and has used non-believers (I have no idea exactly where he stands as far as his religion beliefs at the present time), especially referring to Cyrus. It is certain that Clinton would be the last straw. People who vote for her really shouldn’t be out in public alone.

So with the team’s organizational meetings beginning tomorrow, shouldn’t we assume naming the manager will be #1 on the “to do” list? I say that because I would think you’d want your manager, be it the returning one or a new one, to be heavily involved in the meetings. Heck, if you’re naming a new one, then hiring or assigning coaches then becomes task #’s 1A, 1B, etc.

Initially I truly thought Snit had the inside track on this thing, but as it goes on, I am not so sure. I’m not even so sure it’s a 2 man race with Ron Washington pulling up the rear. In fact, I think if that were the case, they would have already eliminated him from contention and concentrated on the other 2. But hey… I could be wrong…

Let’s face it, each carries a certain quality that make them desirable to the Johns. Ron Washington is a winner. Granted, he did have some talented teams in TEX, but he didn’t waste them. Bud Black has a reputation for being able to handle pitching very well, especially young pitching. With the next wave of young Braves pitching talent ready to burst forth in the next year or 2, that is a quality that can’t be overlooked. And Snit is simply the guy that the team wants going forward. He has the one quality that Bobby Cox turned into 14 Division winners. He relates personally to each guy on the squad.

If it were possible to roll all of those standout traits into one manager, then you’d have your guy for years to come. But the team may have to prioritize. If that’s the case, then I still believe that Ron Washington is pulling up the rear. I also believe that Bud Black may come out on top in a very close race. We’ve seemingly put all of our eggs in the pitching basket. If that is the top priority, then Bud’s abilities are the most important.

But what do I know? I just sit on the outside and observe. Maybe we’ll know something by tomorrow evening. Then we can move forward into shaping the roster for 2017.

The Braves currently have 7 arb eligible players, 1 more than I had thought. My thoughts on Anthony Recker was that he would be a FA under Rule 55 that covers Minor League players with 6 or more years of service. But the fact that Atlanta kept Recker on the roster past August 31 actually keeps him property of the Major League team and makes him arbitration eligible instead. (Should the team try to outright him to AAA, he would have the option to choose FA rather than report, but that’s another topic.)

Anyway, here is the list of our arb eligible guys along with their service time:

To me it’s an interesting list. I don’t really see any non-tender candidates, although Withrow has been a bit disappointing. He has been recovering from injury, though, so I still think the team will continue to take a look at him. I also don’t see any guys that might hold out or take their case to the arb table. I think they’ll all agree to deals and look forward to the opportunity to compete for a spot in 2017.

We don’t know yet what we have in Rodriguez, but the team has not rushed him back in his recovery from TJ surgery in Aug. 2015. He should be well far removed from surgery by Spring Training and ready to compete for a roster spot.

I also think that Viz could be a trade option, as well as Recker if the Braves do acquire the catcher they are looking for.

Collmenter is a bit of a unique situation here in that he had signed a multi-year deal with ARI in 2014 that contained a club option for 2016, which ARI exercised, and a mutual option for 2017. As I understand it, the Braves can exercise their option, putting his $2.25M salary on the table for him to agree to. If he declines, the team owes him a $150K buyout, but he is not yet a FA because of his service time (spent alot of 2016 in the minor leagues) and will enter arb one more time. Given that his arb salary will probably pretty close to the $2.25M, I expect the team to pick up their side and allow him to compete for a role in 2017. I think he earned it with his late season starts. If I were him, I would take the option and the guaranteed $$. Why wouldn’t he?

Collmenter did nothing to hurt himself as being a viable major league pitcher going into 2017. While he is no Clayton Kershaw, he did pitch as opposed to just relying on a 100 mph fastball to get deep into games. At today’s going rate $2.25MM is pretty reasonable for an experience major league guy. I can think of a couple of soft tossers who kept the ball off the sweet spot and were pretty successful. You would not want a roster full of these guys but having one to mix things up could be a plus. Kind of like having a knuckleballer to mess with opposing batters’ timing.

Withrow is the responsibility of the Braves until his injuries are resolved.

The Braves have been waiting patiently for Paco Rodriguez to return to form. I have heard John Hart speak of him on several occasions and their anticipation for his return.

After a shaky start, Ian Kroll became a very reliable addition to the pen last season.

Ender? No brainer… give him what he wants…

Recker is a very good insurance policy. Unless the Braves sign someone in the off season. I look for Wreck it Ralph to act as the designated back-up for Flowers.

Viz is an enigma… He is either very good or very bad. We are never sure if it is a mental or physical thing with him are we? I think he is the one guy on the bubble and I would expect his ears to be burning when the team’s brain trust meets in Orlando friday.

Ever notice of how the MLB play-off resemble college baseball regular season scheduling with less that a full complement of games and lots of days of rest between series and college tourneys resemble MLB regular season scheduling with short turnarounds and little rest between games?

My response to Trump’s detractors would be to ask the same question Jesus did: “WHO among you would throw the first stone?” All of us are guilty of saying terrible things at some time in our past. At least he stood up to it, acknowledged it and apologized. It’s more than Hillary has ever done and is guilty of so much more on a daily basis.

Hillary is running for herself, her greed, her ambition to ascend to POWER. I sincerely believe Trump believes in this nation and knows that he has the skills needed to return it to its rightful place in the scheme of things. I also believe that God is in full control of things. The key is whether Christians will stand up, pray for His guidance and vote. Think of how many times He used the weak, the unexpected, the flawed to bring His plan into being: I can think of David, Moses and Joseph right off the top of my head. Each played MAJOR roles in their times.

DO’B: Brian Snitker is the leading candidate to become the Braves’ next manager, a person familiar with the situation said. Barring any unexpected development, an announcement is likely to come this week on a day when there aren’t as many major league postseason games as there were Monday, when three were played.

I’d guess that by the way DO’B chose his words, the decision has been made. The team is just looking for the right time to make the announcement that won’t tick off MLB. There are 3 games scheduled for today, and 3 also for tomorrow. But only 1 scheduled for Wednesday. And it looks like some or all of those are only “if necessary”. We could hear by tomorrow, but almost certainly by Wednesday.

And a big congrats to Snit. It’s a long time coming and well deserved. Bo Porter is probably a lock to return to 3B coach. Actually I expect most of the coaches to return unless wooed by another team to a better position, i.e. TP and Eddie. And I think there’s at least a small chance that Marty Reed is elevated to pitching coach from his current bullpen coaching spot. Cannot find a hint of an outside candidate as of yet. I’m sure the Johns have some in mind, though.

Good morning everyone. Late drama (which I didn’t stay up to watch) last night in San Fran. But the result of yesterday’s games means 2 games today, off day on Wednesday, and possible game 5’s on Thursday.

While it appears that the removal of Snit’s “interim” tag is now becoming a poorly kept secret, the formal announcement could be held up until tomorrow since there aren’t any games on the grid. Then again, today’s first game isn’t until 5:05pm ET, so they could go ahead and announce early today, I suppose. Who knows?

I could now go off about how they are killing they game by waiting so late to start them on the East Coast, but it’s a long beaten dead horse. Really no reason to revisit it. Most kids have already left the actual sport anyway in favor of simply posting stats in a list. And why not? They don’t have to stay awake until 2am to do it.

We who actually enjoy watching the artistry of the game are dinosaurs… headed toward extinction. The golden goose has shot itself in its webbed foot.

Snit manager. Ron Washington comes on board as new 3b coach. Bo Porter moves into front office. All other coaches remain. New pitching coach is Chuck Fernandez, who was a minor league pitching coach in the system somewhere. Team loves him. I’ll dig up the poop on him when I get back to my office.

Carlo Amado “Chuck” Hernandez is 56, and was hired last November to be the Braves minor league pitching coordinator after being the Marlins pitching coach from 2013-15. Hernandez also was the pitching coach for the Tigers (2006-08), Devil Rays (2004-05) and Angels (1992-96). Prior to that and in between he was a coach in the Angels’ minor-league system from 1986-91 and was a coach in the Rays’ system from 1997-2003. He began his coaching career in 1985 with the White Sox rookie league affiliate.

Like many good coaches, his pitching career never took off. He was drafted in the 1st round (#25 overall) by the Yankees in the 1979 draft. He pitched in their minor-league system until mid-1983, never advancing above AA. He finished the 1983 season on the White Sox A-level team before hanging up the spikes. Those who can’t do, teach… right?

Not much else to tell. Obviously he is respected enough by the Johns to be given the reins of the team’s wealth of young pitching. It’s quite a responsibility. But as minor league coordinator he has already had the opportunity to work with many of them already over the last year. That’s probably the biggest plus on his resumé.

Interestingly, in his radio interview, John Hart said the ultimate goal of every staff move is to win games, and Snit did that. In the end, they found no reason to change what was obviously working at the end of the season. Sounds like a little common sense from an industry that often loses “common” part of that.

The only other thing to make any kind of note here is that in one publication I read, there was a strong hint that the letting go of Roger McDowell may have had some relativity to the rash of elbow injuries the team has experienced under his watch, which were more numerous on the Braves than any other team except the Dodgers during the same 11 year period. In fact, the Braves (64), Dodgers (65) and Rangers (61) were the only 3 teams with more than 50 TJ surgeries over that same span.

While I think it’s hard to make a direct connection to Roger, it’s also hard to ignore those numbers. He may be a good teacher of pitches, but may also be a bad teacher of sound mechanics. The team has an awful lot invested in these young arms. I imagine they’d like to keep them healthy.

Did I mention that I love the Ron Washington hire? In addition to coaching 3B in games, he is also in charge of coaching IF and base running. I mentioned a couple of days ago that I loved this guy for simply being a winner. I think some guys are, and some guys aren’t. Washington is, and I think he’ll bring a winning attitude to the team to enhance that which Snit obviously already has.

The only other scenario that could have been any better would have been if Bud Black had also come on board as pitching coach. Then you’d really have something. But Black will certainly get another managing opportunity somewhere at some point in time. And I’m willing to give Chuck Hernandez the benefit of the doubt. For whatever reason, I trust what the Johns are doing.

Good morning folks… Well, I was one of those fools who stayed up through 5 plus hours of baseball last night. Yep, just too late a start for normal people. Heck of a game though. I did not like the results but it is hard to count the Giants out ever, They just keep coming after you.

Great news on Snitker and likely Ron Washington is around just in case… It would be hard to demote a man after the September the team had but it will be hard for him not to look over his shoulder. My advice to the team, if y’all like Snit, you better play hard and put some wins on the board.

Special Assistant Title give to guys when they don’t know what else to do with you… Still, it’s a steady paycheck. Other “Special Assistants” include guys like Bobby Cox, Tom Glavine and Chipper Jones.

Rash of elbow injuries… Too many kids coming back from injuries too fast. That and learning how to throw breaking pitches. All that torque has to go somewhere… Perhaps they should have brought in someone to work with Roger on conditioning. Oh well, not my place to worry about it, he will end up somewhere as a pitching coach in the big leagues.

Maybe even as a “Special Assistant”… 🙂

Whew, it’s chilly here today… Fall is like that I guess, especially here. So many pine tags… Aurggguuuree…

Ron Washington is looking for redemption. Also is a good third hitting coach. Remember the “Frenchy adventure” ? Of course Francoeur should have sought out Charlie Manuel but that is a tale for another time.

Another team in and one step closer… but a trip across the continent and a “rest” day means we won’t have the final entrant until Thursday. It also means the Jays and Indigenous Americans won’t play their first one until Friday. Since the aforementioned Injuns last played a game on Sunday, wonder how rusty they’ll be? Especially the pitchers.

Baseball needs to figure this thing out. Dragging these things out with all the off days is ridiculous. These are highly paid athletes who are accustomed to traveling and playing 6 games over 7 days. And it’s not like their flying coach on AirTran. They could handle a little quicker pace. Me too. They’re losing me.

Now not only do you have to compete with the NFL and college football, but the NBA has started their pre-season. Somebody in the MLB offices has fallen asleep at the wheel. Probably because they’re having to stay up past midnight to see some of these games finish.

Confession: I haven’t watched an entire inning of any game. I’ve clicked past a couple and settled in for an at-bat, but that’s been about it. If I thought I could watch the whole series, it’d be different. But I know I can’t, so I don’t bother to start. Hard for a goose to swim with a hole in its webbed foot, don’t you think? Even a golden one.

I was kinda looking forward to breaking down the team’s offseason needs, especially now that the manager and coaching spots have been nailed down, but I have to admit that Jeff Todd over at MLBTR has really done a very nice job of summarizing it for us. I gotta say that there’s very little that I can disagree with in his assessment of our needs and whom may be available in both the FA and trade markets to cover it… well, the obvious ones, anyway. While I don’t necessary agree with how he characterizes Kemp’s deficiencies, he did at least give him credit for a “resurgence” in Atlanta. I also don’t agree with him saying Ender Inciarte giving us “average hitting” to go with his great glove work. Did he watch any of the Braves games over the last half of the season?

But I do find his prioritization of our needs, and the market to fill said needs to be fairly spot on.

I made the mistake of reading some of the comments that sit below the main article. Don’t waste your time there. Most of the commenters are obviously delusional and are of the basement dwelling, stat crunching variety.

When you see someone propose a ridiculous 5-for-1 trade that decimates the newly revived farm system, you know they probably haven’t spent more than 3 minutes in direct sunlight in weeks. And of course, they have it all figured out. In fact they start by saying the offseason is “very easy” and then give the laundry list of trades and FA purchases.

Yeah… it’s that easy. Like having a gold card at Saks, except different. How can this guy not have a GM job somewhere? He obviously has it all figured out.

I’m a little slow this morning, I exited the site before posting my comments and poof! The were gone… Anyway, I watched the final two innings of the Cubs game. Pretty stunning comeback and that kid who is playing second base for the Cubbie, Danny Baez, is a magician with a glove. We could only wish that Ozzie can play like that when he arrives.

Pretty amazing comeback in the ninth by the Cubs, it all started with a lead off walk… DUH!

One comment I made was referenced to Javier Báez , wow, that kid is a magician with a glove. I can only wish to see Ozzie play second like him. Amazing plays…

On the Braves, the assessments by Jeff Todd was obviously made by someone who listened to the pundits and read the stat sheets and did not actually watch the Braves play. Enders’ “average” hitting took place early in the season while he was dealing with injuries. Kemp’s defense was much underrated. We shall see what kind of shape he shows up for spring training in.

The obvious.. a catcher and pitchers… hey, even I can see that. Where to get them? Will depend on what the Johns are willing to part with.

And they are on record as saying they won’t begin parting with the top prospects yet. Not at that stage of the rebuild.

The names Todd mentioned are pretty much the same ones we’ve been knocking around here for a couple of weeks.

One guy he mentioned, that now appears will hit the FA market, is Clay Buchholz. He has a club option on his deal which I assumed BOS would pick up, especially since his 2nd half has been closer to his career numbers. But most around the league apparently believe his option will be bought out and that he’ll be a FA.

If that’s the case, he could be a great fit for the Braves. He’s a lefty with a nice career resume, who struggled for a portion of 2016 before getting back on track. He could be the perfect “bounce back” type pitcher that could be signed on a short deal. Otherwise, the names all look the same as we’ve already bandied about.

I still like Ivan Nova, but he could get too pricey. The Royals are not picking up Edinson Volquez’ option, but I’m not all that much in love with him. He’s very inconsistent. If we want inconsistent, we have rookies that can give us inconsistent.

Here’s a name Todd didn’t mention, that I think needs to be put out there. Old friend Ervin Santana has 2 years (and an option) left on his deal with Minnie that will pay him $13.5M in each of the next 2 seasons. Given their rebuilding position and small market status, he might could be had for a mid-level prospect or 2. He’d be a solid #2 to eat some innings and mentor a few young’uns. He’s at least as good as Jeremy Hellickson or Ivan Nova, who will probably get the same $$ over 3 years.

Rockies GM Jeff Bridich recently told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, “I think that we are going to do everything that we need to do in the offseason to see if there are ways to making us better in the ‘pen,”

Did y’all know that COL has a couple of young catchers? They have a guy named Tom Murphy, who is their #10 prospect, and they have SS turned C Tony Wolters. Wolters caught 71 games for them this year behind starter and FA Nick Hundley, and is listed ahead of Murphy on their depth chart. By all accounts, Wolters will inherit the starting job if Hundley leaves via FA.

And while I’m sure COL would prefer to keep both their young catchers, they are in dire need of bullpen help, specifically at closer. Their current closer, Adam Ottavino, returned late in the season from TJ surgery to blow 5 of his 12 save opportunities. Another closer, rookie Carlos Estevez, converted only 11 of his 16 save opportunities, with a 5.39 ERA, before giving way to Ottavino. Overall their bullpen had 28 blown saves… think about that. That’s not just bad… that flat out sucks. They are a team in search of somebody that can anchor the back end of their bullpen in a bad way. Perhaps Arodys Vizcaino is that guy. We need a catcher; they need a late inning reliever. Maybe we can match up some players and everyone is happy?

Poking around and trying to find some more info in the Denver media about their catchers, it would appear the prevailing sentiment is that Nick Hundley will leave via FA, and that the team might be hesitant to have 2 young catchers (25 & 24) share the load. They feel that their GM will likely look to bring in a veteran to help balance the load. I’m sure we could send them one of ours. 😉

I’ll be very happy to work a deal that would send Viz and TFlow for Murphy and a throw in. Did I mention that Murphy hit .327/.361/.647 w/ 19 HR’s at AAA Albuquerque before his callup in 2016?

Albuquerque + thin air… beware of the HR numbers, not the contact. but, it’s like Denver.

I would think Denver would want a speed guy as a closer. Someone who could really light up the radar gun because anyone who relies on movement (ie A Jim Johnson type) is doomed to heart break and a sore arm. They just need someone who can just grip it and rip it… and hit the edges…

Things I have learned about Rivera… He is a very devout Christian who had some real trials and tribulations before he became an “overnight success” . I have a much greater respect for him after reading his book.

Opens up 3 spots on the 40-man roster. Just preparing to do business when the markets open. The ol’ Hot Stove will be cranking up in just a couple of weeks. This is kinda like gathering logs, so to speak.

They could also be preparing to add back in a couple of youngsters who would become eligible for the Rule 5 draft, although they really don’t have to worry about that until closer to December. The winter meetings begin on Dec. 5.

→ 5 days after WS: Deadline for teams to make Qualifying Offers to their players who became FA’s
→ 12 days after WS: Deadline for FA’s to decline/accept QO’s
→ Dec. 2: Last day for teams to offer 2017 contracts to unsigned players on their 40-man rosters
→ Dec. 5-8: Winter Meetings, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, just south of Washington, DC

Why DC? Seems like a horrible place to do business. Nothing good really comes out of there.

Also, if I’m not mistaken, aren’t there usually organized GM meetings that occur somewhere prior to the official Winter Meetings? It’s not anywhere on the list of MLB dates, but I seem to recall some kind of meetings around Nov. where the groundwork for some future deals is begun. I could be wrong about that, though.

I know Daniel is no Derek Jeter but he has been a pretty good utility guy, makes the lays he is suppose to make. No real pop in his bat which dooms him to be a late inning utility guy. Do be surprised to see him packaged with some other prospects in a trade.

I will be curious to see if the Braves bring back Francoeur. His playing time really diminished with the addition of Kemp. Smith fills the role as a right handed outfielder. Depends on if the Braves are looking for a right handed bat off the bench who is not Brandon Snyder.

Will Kelly Johnson be re-signed or will the Mets try to keep him? Who in the minors is ready to make the jump? I look for Ruiz to spend one more season in Triple A or until Adonis falters.

Does anyone else think Adonis might profile better at first base? Not going to be in Atlanta but maybe adds value to him as a trade package. I look for him to get some reps at first at spring training.

To me, being called a redneck is a slur when spoken by someone on the left because they mean it as a slur. It’s like using the N word when speaking of blacks… It is not the word, it is the intent…

That said, I am a redneck if it means I love God, Jesus Christ, my wife and my country. Guns, pick-up trucks and outdoor sports.. I refuse to be labeled as a Republican because they are just as corrupt as the Democrats. Not a dime’s worth of difference between the two if you ask me.

I don’t believe in donating money to millionaires or organizations that drive a better car than me.

And why did Hatii need a billion dollar cell phone system when the people live in shanties that have dirt floors? Just who skimmed off the money that was supposed to go to the rebuilding after the earth quakes?

The moves earlier noted only opened up one 40-man roster spot. The Braves activated both Marksberry and McKirahan from the 60-day DL, then outrighted them off the 40-man. Players on the 60-day DL don’t count against the 40-man roster limit.

They still have 3 guys on the 60-day DL that they’ll have to make decisions on in the next couple of weeks, those being LHP Paco Rodriguez, RHP Daniel Winkler, and LHP Jesse Biddle.

We’ve talked about Paco a good bit, and he should play a role in the 2017 bullpen as long as his recovery from TJ (surgery 8/2015) has not hit any snags. Once he’s activated, which will have to be done by the end of the WS, he’ll once again count against the limit. That’s where Danny Castro’s spot will go, and the Braves will be back to 40 (well, it’ll become 38 when EOF and AJP officially become FA’s, but that’ll follow in the timeline).

Winkler, if you’ll recall, broke his elbow after returning from TJ, and had surgery to repair it in August. he should be able to return sometime in 2017, but the timetable is not very clear. They can outright him to a minor league affiliate and return him to the 60-day DL before the 2017 season starts. He probably wouldn’t be able to return until mid-season anyway, if then.

Biddle is an interesting pitcher, though. He was a former top prospect in the Phillies organization. He also had TJ in 8/2015 and was waived in April. The Braves claimed him off waivers and immediately placed him on their 60-day. He would be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this year, but it’s not likely anyone would claim him as they’d have to keep them on their active roster for the entire 2017 season. I expect Braves to outright him to AAA and invite him to Spring Training. There are some who believe he could compete for the #5 starter’s spot if he’s 100% healthy.

I almost forgot about RHP Rob Whalen. He is also on the 60-day DL (shoulder fatigue at season’s end). He is a guy whom a pitching poor team might snatch up in the Rule 5, although I think that’s pretty unlikely. If the Braves feel they can’t open a 40-man spot for him, they may roll the dice and hope that no team would guarantee Whalen an active roster spot for 2017. It’s not a bad bet.

So who are our top prospects that might have an impact at the ML level in 2017? (Dansby is still listed at #1. We can overlook him for the purposes of this exercise.)

#2 Ozzie Albies will become the everyday 2B for sure. The only question is how soon.

#3 LHP Sean Newcomb has a chance to make some noise at some point. I think he’ll be in the mix for the #5 slot in Spring Training. AAA is most likely, but he turned alot of heads with the way he finished the AA season after a rocky 1st half. The view is that he “turned the corner”, as they say. He’s a big lefty with easy heat and a knee buckling curve. He also has a changeup that is considered “major league average”. He’s often compared to Jon Lester. Control has been his issue, as is often the case with young pitchers, but he showed great improvement at the end of 2016. He’ll be the first of the crop of “special” pitchers to arrive in SunTrust.

#14 RHP Lucas Sims might get a callup at some point, but he really needs a full consistent season at AAA. He still has his “top-of-the-rotation stuff”, but has not shown consistency with it.

#15 3B Rio Ruiz is ready IMO. I think he makes the Opening Day roster. As a LH batter, he compliments Adonis perfectly. And the team will need a LH coming off the bench.

#16 RHP Chris Ellis, same as Sims.

#18 OF Dustin Peterson had a breakout season at AA in 2016 and was the organizational Player Of The Year for 2016. If the Braves OF didn’t already look pretty full, he might have a shot to make the roster. He’ll only be about 25 miles away from SunTrust Park coolin’ at Coolray should injuries create a need.

21 RHP John Gant is a legit 2017 bullpen candidate. More likely though he’ll continue to start at AAA to maintain starting depth.

#22 RHP Rob Whalen -> see John Gant.

#28 RHP Patrick Weigel was the organizational Pitcher Of The Year for 2016 after a breakout season at a couple of levels, finishing at AA. He made 25 starts, logging 149.2 IP and finished with a 2.47 ERA. He’ll be invited to Spring Training, but will probably spend 2017 in AAA with DPete.

#29 LHRP AJ Minter is the future closer for this team. Think Billy Wagner. They’ll be patient with him and probably give him a full season at AAA unless he simply forces their hand.

An opine about Albies… I think the prevailing wisdom on Ozzie is “let’s see how he performs at spring training”. He is so young and so much growing to da, I don’t feel the Braves have any idea of rushing him to the show. Now, if he has a monster spring and just blows everyone away, it will be tough to keep him down on the farm, that said, if he does okay, I think the Braves will be compelled to wait out his “Super Two” status and extend their hold on him.

And of course, he could be flipped for a catcher or starting pitcher… Not saying it will, just could… not likely but a possibility. prospect are such a crap shoot, you just never know who or when. It really takes a perfect storm for it to all come together.

I keep thinking about Jose Altuve and what package he is… Could Ozzie be that guy?

Pitchers…. Man, it is so much more than velocity. Having a reasonable idea of where the ball is going and being consistent and having your head screwed on straight… Just look at the finish Aaron Blair had… He reminds me so much of Kevin Millwood it’s not funny. If he can just trust his stuff.

The mental make up of a pitcher is so relevant to his success. They have to pitch fearless and even more important, pitch without looking in the dugout thinking they have to be perfect. It is not life and death but you would think that to see some of these guys wilt under pressure.

And the next round is set. Doesn’t look like Dusty Baker is the great savior everyone built him up to be. I’ve never quite understood why he’s held in such high esteem. What has he ever accomplished besides coddling the man-child Barry Bonds?

Personally, I am routing for Cleveland and Chicago. Old school. The only thing that concerns me about Chicago winning is how many cars will burn, how many businesses will be looted, and how many people will be shot.

Okay, I was a little bummed by the loss to LA last night. As much as I dislike the gNats, I dislike LA more… Bone head play of the night had to be Jason Werth getting thrown out by 15 feet at home after Zimmerman hit a double to the left field corner. Jason Werth, running from first base was running like he was being timed with a sun dial.

Only thing I can figure is Werth was not paying attention when the ball was hit and got a very late jump on the ball. Of course I also have to fault the third base coach, it was obvious Werth would not make it to home in time. Oh well, even more reason to root hard for the Cubbies.

Roster shaping continues in Orlando as the Braves have outrighted P Joel De La Cruz, C Blake Lalli and IF/OF Brandon Snyder off the 40-man roster. The difference between today’s moves and yesterday’s moves is that each of these guys can opt to become minor league FA’s. I expect Brandon Snyder will take that road, and probably De La Cruz too. Not as sure about Lalli, although it wouldn’t surprise me either way.

Snyder was not a bad bench piece after Frenchy was traded. But I think we all know Frenchy is coming home once that market opens for business. De La Lose er, Cruz won’t be missed. Lalli is not a very good defensive catcher, but he is depth at a position that doesn’t have much depth anywhere. He won’t have trouble finding a job, but I don’t see anybody giving him a ML deal, so he may simply re-sign with Los Barves and save the moving expenses.

Also, in a standard transaction, the Braves “recalled” P Jason Hursh, P Casey Kelly, and P Akeel Morris. As Matt Eddy explains over at baseball America: The players recalled during this period are procedural moves and simply account for all members of the 40-man roster who did not receive September callups or finished on the disabled list.

Part of the team’s organizational meetings are setting the 40-man roster up for the upcoming Hot Stove season. As we talked about yesterday, they have to make room for the 6 guys coming off the 60-day DL, even though some will be released, outrighted, or non-tendered. They also have to make room for youngsters who will become eligible for the Rule 5 draft whom the team feels could be taken.

This is all nuts and bolts kind of stuff that has to be done. And really, what else can they do until the World Series is over and they can start really shaping the 2017 roster? Well, they can talk about it of course, and I’m sure they are. But as any of who have done business knows, there are things that you do that are fun, and there are things you do that are just necessary. They are doing the necessary at the moment.

I think we touched on this yesterday talking about the pending FA of AJP and EOF, both of whom will be either retiring or playing elsewhere next season. I also need to mention that Emilio Bonifacio is a pending FA as well. (I admittedly forgot about him. Just saw his name pop up.) I kinda doubt he’s in the team’s plans going forward, either. He’s most certainly not going to take up a 40-man roster spot.

Also, lost last week while I was on vaca, the O’s claimed LHP Jed Bradley off waivers from us. That one surprises me a little. I thought they liked Bradley and was hoping he would get his mojo back. I guess not so much, huh?

We’ve talked about Paco a good bit, and he should play a role in the 2017 bullpen as long as his recovery from TJ (surgery 8/2015) has not hit any snags. Once he’s activated, which will have to be done by the end of the WS, he’ll once again count against the limit.

Seeing that…it’s weird…. I think I understand why mlb does this, so teams can’t store guys forever…but, don’t you think if there is a legit injury that keeps a guy from playing, at least for a month or so of the season, there should be a say, a 5 man injury roster? 3 Man? If a guy cannot play, it seems silly you have to protect him…though as I type this, I know this is how the braves got some good guys in the past…just seems odd.

And the next round is set. Doesn’t look like Dusty Baker is the great savior everyone built him up to be. I’ve never quite understood why he’s held in such high esteem. What has he ever accomplished besides coddling the man-child Barry Bonds?
V, he is basically Bobby Cox…a manager players love….but perhaps not the best playoff manager out there….
I was rooting just a bit for him to win over the dodgers (but the Dodgers put it all on the line last night, I was really impressed , Kershaw doing his Randy Johnson impression out of the bullpen after starting game 4 on short rest , Kensley Jansen pitching nearly 3 innings) just cuz every sabermetrician out there and other experts that are often wrong, said he would suck as the Nats Manager. But, not having an atomic bomb for a manager like Matt Williams , ready to go off(or stroke out) at any moment, they played much better, even with Bryce having an off year….Won the division, didn’t collapse like the year before.
Plus, he’s 67 and as we all know, the older and wiser you get, the less people think you have any business being in charge of anything. That’s one reason why Snit was given the interim Manager title the WHOLE season. Believe me(I guess I have heard too many Trump speeches 😉 ) Believe me, if Snit was 39 , he would have had the interim removed from his title in mid August.
I am no longer a spring chicken (More of a Summer/fall chicken) Older I gues, the more and more aware of this I become…
Dusty was in a no win situation last night. Think Bobby Cox would take out Smoltz after giving up an oppo homer in the 7th? No way, but the Nats history of failing was hanging over him, so no way he was going to leave him out there. The young folks say use the bullpen, he used the bullpen…it didn’t work…He is still being blamed for the loss by at least 1 site I saw…no winning….

You’re exactly right, Ber. Guys have been drafted while recovering from a myriad of injuries. But as you mentioned, it’s purely so that you can’t stash guys on the DL and protect more than 40. It’s a level paying field because every team has to do it.

And naturally, as Spring Training begins to wind down and rosters are being trimmed and minor league rosters are being filled out, those who need the additional time will go back on the 60-day DL.

Paco should be at full strength by Spring Training. In the past, teams, well the Braves at least, have looked at 12 months for the pitcher to begin baseball activities. In 2016, the Braves moved their own timetable back to 18 months. As far as being “in shape”, he’s been working out, so he won’t have to work back into shape. If I recall correctly, Paco has been working out in Orlando, and even doing some throwing, although nothing at any velocity or off a mound. His 18 month anniversary will be February, so he ought to be good to go with no restrictions as Spring Training cranks up.

Jesse Biddle falls into the same category. he’s a better bet to be optioned to AAA to open 2017, but he’ll also be at 18 months off surgery in February.

Dan Winkler, who has already been “activated”, had that elbow fracture in April and could return to the 60-day as the lid comes off 2017. But when Ozzie had the same injury last month, it was talked about that it was not a long recovery period and that he could be ready by Spring Training. May be longer with a pitcher… not sure.

I haven’t heard any updates on Winkler, but I follow him on Twitter. (He’s a really cool dude. Very strong Christian faith.) Anyway… the last thing he posted regarding his own recovery was in August, and it’s a picture of his x-ray which didn’t show me anything, but he was pretty happy with it. He has a big ol’ screw holding everything in place. He said. “… the bone is healing really well. Rehab is right on track and my elbow is feeling great.”

Good conversation this morning guys, just remember, while the Braves are busy paring their 40 man roster, 29 other teams are going the same thing. It is why minor league managers are told to evaluate every opposing player as well as their own. There are always unmined gems in the minors, just like undrafted free agents.

I cannot see the Braves going for guys who have already passed through the system, like Cunningham. Sometimes they will pick up a pitcher who someone saw potential but let’s be honest, the minor leagues are for spare parts and development.

Winning is a bonus. it’s why it is rare for a young starter to pitch more than 5 innings in a game. Lot’s of guys who will be relievers are often used as starters in the minors.

Anyway, I am glad I don’t have to keep up with the thousands of ball players all over the world and knowing who to sign and who to pass over.

OK… after a revisit, it appears that all of our 60-day DL-ers are accounted for, and the current 40-man roster sits at 37. Technically, it’s still at 40 because our 3 FA’s aren’t really FA’s until the WS ends. But for all practical purposes, our 40-man sits at 37.

Once the dust settles from the WS and all the other movement, we need to add in the youngsters who are at risk for taking in the Rule 5 draft. One guy that I can see that could be in danger of being taken (remember, any taker has to keep said player on their ML for the entire season or offer him back) is P Lucas Sims. And honestly, he still needs minor league seasoning. But he’s talented enough some goob GM would swipe him up and use him out of the bullpen. Outside of that… P Steve Janas maybe. But he’s not gonna make anybody cry if he’s gone nor cheer if he’s acquired. They should definitely protect OF Dustin Peterson. You don’t want to take any chances with him. He could probably make the jump from AA to MLB as easily as any Brave eligible. But that’s about it, I think. Those 3 should be protected, and we now have room for them. Well… we will, anyway.

So, with Ozzie Albies unable to participate in the AFL, The Braves send Travis Timothy Demeritte. Travis came to the Braves as part of the deal for Harrell. He is 22 years old and was the Ranger’s number one pick in 2013. That makes him 3 years older than Ozzie and the kid has some serious pop. Still, he has only advance to High A ball to date. As a second basemen, he could vie for a 3rd base job. I think the Braves are hesitant to bring Ozzie up to the bigs as he is still really young.

Anyway, I wonder how much it is an evaluation verses a showcasing. You can’t keep them all.

Strange, in a game where it was normal (pre PEDs) to not bring a kid up until he was about 25 or 26, now if a player doesn’t break into the line up at 20, he is considered a bust… Sad…

Forgot to mention, he had an 80 day suspension last year for testing positive for a banned substance. That said, it looked like his numbers are better without them.

Another project for Ron Washington to work with. I think he is ranked as the Braves 13th over all prospect but that is so unreliable as a measuring stick.

I was reading this morning that the Reds want to move Jose Peraza into Brandon Phillips spot at 2nd base. Of course Phillips does not want to go and he has a full no trade clause in his contract. Everyone thought he was headed to DC last spring but when the Nats refuse to give him a contract extension, he nixed the deal. He has one year left on his current contract when his offensive numbers are declining.

Wow, great game Cubs/Dodgers….felt bad for Dodgers, coming back, Blanton had Miguel Montero 0-2, after being lucky to not to have the 0-1 slider hit to the moon…Blanton inexplicably thru yet another hanging slider that was hit just about to the moon….

And their top prospects are in the upper minors. They’ll be an old team by 2020 with no real prospects on the horizon. I wonder which of their good scouts we can pillage? Actually, with former Bosox GM Mike Hazen being named new GM in ARI, he’ll hire them all over there.

Hazen isn’t prohibited from hiring members of the Red Sox organization, though he did make clear to team officials that he has no intention of a raid on Sox personnel.

Ha ha ha… right.

Rob Bradford of Boston Sports New Station WEEI:

It would be a significant surprise if Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo doesn’t get the manager’s opening in Arizona. Gus Quattlebaum [Red Sox pro scouting director] would seem to be a logical candidate for the Diamondbacks’ assistant general manager. Amiel Sawdaye [vice-president with a focus on international and domestic scouting, former amateur scouting director] would seem to be a strong candidate to join Hazen.

I tend to believe the latter more than the former, especially if Wren is named GM.

Back to the Braves, who do not have a whole lotta news to report on right now…

I ran across (actually surfed to) this old news bit about new Pitching Coach Chuck Hernandez, from September 2008 after he was let go in DET following a disappointing season. This comes from a Tigers fan forum, but has the look something copied from then recent news piece. Anyway, here is what was posted:

DETROIT — Tigers pitching coach Chuck Hernandez and bullpen coach Jeff Jones will not be brought back for next season, manager Jim Leyland announced after Sunday’s loss to the Rays. The moves are the coaching fallout from a season in which the Tigers, whom many forecast to contend for a World Series berth, will finish close to the cellar in the American League Central.

With three seasons in charge of the Tigers’ pitching staff, Hernandez is the only pitching coach that some of Detroit’s young arms have known in their brief big league careers. His focus on preparation and individualized scouting reports, detailing a plan of attack for each particular pitcher against an opponent, was widely credited with helping Detroit’s staff emerge in 2006 on the Tigers’ way to 95 wins and the World Series.

Detroit led the Majors with a 3.84 ERA and 16 shutouts two years ago. The bulk of the strength was in the rotation, which accounted for 75 victories and better than six innings per start. Justin Verlander won 17 games and AL Rookie of the Year honors, while Kenny Rogers provided the veteran presence with 17 more wins.

A little more digging and I find where Verlander had to say about his former coach: “Coach Hernandez has had a great influence in my career. He’s an incredible teacher and mentor.”

So maybe it is beginning to become a little clearer why the Braves wanted him to be a part of developing their young pitching.

Looking at his resume and his 1, 2, and 3 year stops for 5 different teams, the DET job is the only job from which Hernandez was fired when he wasn’t connected to a manager who was fired at the same time. So while his past makes him look a bit like a journeyman pitching coach, especially when following Roger (2005-2016) and Leo (1990-2004) in ATL, it looks more like he has been a part of some general house-cleanings a few times.

I have no idea if he’s the right guy for the job or not. I suppose time will reveal that. I’m ecstatic that Snit and the others were retained, save Bo Porter. I am in the camp that believes Porter has been a good coach for this team. But I think Wash is a great addition, so a place had to be made. No worries for Porter. He’ll either do a good job as the mythical “special assistant to the GM” here, or he’ll find another field job somewhere else. Hey, for all we know, he may have front office aspirations and this is his foot in the door. But regardless, he isn’t out of a job so he’s OK.

But I guess I’m still processing the hire of Chuck Hernandez. It just hasn’t settled well with me. This is one where I have to trust the Johns that they know what they’re doing. On one hand I still find it puzzling. On the other, I see a guy that looks like he’s been a pretty good coach, even if it has been under the radar and in several places. Hopefully this is the right place and the right time for both him and for the Braves.

One thing that was evident, the Braves believe in long tenures for their pitching coaches. 14 years for Leo, 11 years for Roger.

Who knows the real reason Roger was let go, personality clash with Snit, or Coppy or just wanted a new face in the clubhouse. I suspect John Hart played a rolle but we may never know.

I would be incline to believe the rash of elbow injuries to be more in line with the strength and conditioning coach. Some say it is as a result of arm angle, pitching across their body, but Brandon Beachy had a picture perfect delivery and still, he had Tommy John. Twice…

Well, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. As for being let go by the Tigers, when you have a down season, you have to blame somebody and apparently the Tigers didn’t want to lose Jim Leyland.

Lots of pitching coaches are guys I’ve never heard of before anyway. Such is their lot in life, much like assistant pastors and ghost writers and bench coaches. So, what kind of preparation is needed to match up your pitching staff against an opponent teams hitters? Has to take hours of video review and then it’s all about execution isn’t it? Just because you know a guy can’t hit a fastball in, doesn’t mean you won’t miss over the plate with it.

About last night… Dave Roberts almost had a Grady Little moment when Javier Baez just missed hitting one out to straight away centerfield in the bottom of the seventh inning with one on and two outs. Kershaw talked Roberts into leaving him in to face Baez. If the wind had been blowing out like the night before, it would have been out easy.

That said, to me Baez has been the most impressive player on the field. He reminds me of Simba in the plays he makes only he is a second baseman. He appears to have perfect instincts when it comes to making plays.

If you’ll remember, he’s the guy I wanted when the Cubs were talking to the Braves last offseason about Julio. Yes, I wanted Jorge Soler also. I wanted both. But Baez has always impressed me with his total athleticism. He’s as good a fielder as he is a hitter, and that says alot. To be honest, he’s shown even more power than I anticipated. IMO, he is the total player. I think he’s a future MVP kind of guy. And not too far off in the future, either.

And, I guess that potential is why the Cubs said no way to the trade. Still, you have to have pitching to go along with the hitting. One would have to believe that the defense playing behind the current Cubs pitchers has made a difference in their ERA too.

Heyward needs to shorten up his swing so he can catch up to a fastball. Something for him to work on this winter. He is strong enough to still hit them out but you have to catch up to the ball first.

Of course, this time of year, all the pitchers are hard to hit… Fortunately for the Cubs, they won’t have to face Kershaw for a few more days.

So the team’s organizational meetings began last Tuesday with the announcement that Snit was hired followed by the other coaching hires, Then on Wednesday we got a handful of news bits about 40-man roster moves. Then on Thursday and Friday we got nuthin’. I imagine this week that most of the braintrust has scattered out to the various locations where some of the prospects are participating in fall leagues, the AFL being the most high profile. With Ozzie’s arm injury preventing him from playing out there, there isn’t anyone we need to keep up with very closely outside Dustin Peterson, and we really don’t even need to keep up with him given our very full OF. There also isn’t ANY news about him.

It’s gonna be a very slow news week as far as the Braves are concerned…

Sometimes no news just means everyone is keeping their mouth shut. I’m pretty sure the main thrust of these meetings has been to 1) Evaluate the current talent in the system 2) Establish both the immediate and long term needs of the roster(s) and 3) Establish who might be available to fill those needs and figure out how to acquire and pay for them. (Either trade prospects or cash for free agents)

I’m certain there are people toiling in the bowls of Turner Field who had the responsibility to compile all that data and deliver it to the brain trust. The tricky part is knowing how to read all that information and put it to good use.

We all know who will be available in FA. I don’t anticipate any real surprises (or impact players) from non-tender add-ons, either. The real surprises will come out of the trade market.

If the Johns want to make any real noise this winter, they’re gonna have to get creative in the trade market. It’s either gonna be a wild ride, or a disappointing one. I don’t see any real grey area in between.

I am pretty sure some of the young arms the Braves have acquired are available. I’ve not heard too many names being mentioned as untouchable at this point although I am sure some are.

I’ll bet there will be plenty of scouts attending the World Baseball Classic camps and games too. Still, by the time these players reach this level, lots of other folks have seen them too. It’s pretty hard to hide potential stars these days.

I think the real recipe for success is to trade some of your young talent for pieces you need but not to empty out the system all at once.

Vee, you mentioned a lot of Boston’s young talent is at the double and triple A levels. That is unlike the Braves where it is nearly all at A ball and below. Sure, there are a couple of kids close but remember Nick Markakis only has two more seasons on his contract. His trade value might never be higher than right now. I know a lot of folks will be clamoring for Mallex Smith to get a lot of playing time but I look for him to be a 4th outfielder this season. He’ll be lucky to get 400 plate appearances.

Any bets on if Frenchy will return? Would he want to knowing he would be a fifth outfielder?

I also would not be a bit surprised to see the Braves go for an upgrade at third base during the off season. While not a critical need with Adonis’ much improved play, he is still a soon to be 32 year old journeyman more or less. He does possess a strong arm and quick bat but will not be confused with some of the elite major league 3rd basemen. That say, he is no longer a liability at the hot corner.

While the Braves might want to move up Ruiz, I don’t think they believe it necessary to rush him to the bigs before he is ready. Ruiz is a good looking young player but a couple of months at triple A to begin the year won’t hurt him. I think it will be a fun time to be in camp for the Braves’ rookies and prospects this spring.

While I really like Jace Peterson, I can accept he is not an All-star 2nd baseman. He is a very steady utility guy and he has been known to deliver some clutch hits. He won’t stand as an impediment to Ozzie’s arrival to Sun Trust though.

So what can we realistically expect out of the 2017 Braves? I think it depends on who is on the starting pitching staff….

Wow, wouldn’t it be grand if Aaron Blair of 2017 was the Aaron Blair we saw pitch in his final start in 2016? I was impressed by Collmenter in his three starts but I would not want my hopes and dreams hitched to a soft toss righty. Still, location seems to be everything in baseball. not a bad choice as a number 4 or 5 guy in the line-up. Maybe even a number 3 but I think that role will be filled by a new hire.

I am pretty sure some of the young arms the Braves have acquired are available.

According to recent statements by Coppy, they are not to the point in their rebuild where they will start trading away a bunch of their young assets… especially the whiz kids from Rome this year. What a bunch! But I’m sure there are a handful of arms (that’s weird to say) that could be available in the right deal.

Nick Markakis only has two more seasons on his contract. His trade value might never be higher than right now.

I think they’ll try to trade him, but I don’t know if they’ll get what they want. And if they don’t, I believe they’re content to keep him. And if he starts 2017 the way he finished 2016, he may be more valuable at the deadline, with only 1 1/2 years left on his deal at that point, he’s not a rental but not a long term commitment either. The perfect fit for someone.

Any bets on if Frenchy will return? Would he want to knowing he would be a fifth outfielder?

I think it’s a great bet he returns. Even if the team keeps Mallex as a #4, Frenchy would still have a place as a RH power bat. My gut tells me that one of Mallex or Nick gets traded in the offseason… and Mallex only as a piece to help bring in a top arm. Nick won’t get you a top arm, but he might get you a cagy veteran to eat some innings. Well, Nick and someone else anyway. Another scenario is to stash Mallex at AAA. He does have minor league options. I can’t see Nick staying here past July.

I also would not be a bit surprised to see the Braves go for an upgrade at third base

It wouldn’t surprise me but I don’t think it’ll be a priority, especially in the FA market which now really only has Justin Turner, who will command a boatload of cash. But if a deal presents itself, they’ll obviously look at it.

Ruiz is a good looking young player but a couple of months at triple A to begin the year won’t hurt him.

He spent all of 2016 in AAA, and showed about as much there as he’s gonna show. He’s ready. If the team keeps Adonis, I think they keep Rio in the majors as a LH compliment. If they swing a deal somehow for a 3B, I think Rio will go away in that deal. But I really doubt he spends any more significant time at AAA.

Rio having a LH bat is key here as the team has no other LH for their bench at the moment. Should Rio be included in a deal, the Braves could reach out to…

… wait for it…

Kelly Johnson to come back and be the LH bat for the bench. At least until Ozzie is promoted and Jace’s LH bat goes to the bench at which time we’ll trade KJ to the Mets for a pitching prospect. 😉

While I really like Jace Peterson, I can accept he is not an All-star 2nd baseman. He is a very steady utility guy

Yes, and an early season placeholder for Ozzie.

Wow, wouldn’t it be grand if Aaron Blair of 2017 was the Aaron Blair we saw pitch in his final start in 2016? I was impressed by Collmenter in his three starts but I would not want my hopes and dreams hitched to a soft toss righty.

If either want to figure in the plans for 2017, they better be very good in Spring. Coppy made it completely clear that the time to be patient and to develop at the Major League level is over. It’s time to win games, and the best 5 candidates will be in this year’s rotation. Julio will be there. Folty, too. As far as our current candidates, those are the only sure things. If Coppy does what he has said he’s gonna do, there will be 2 and maybe 3 veteran additions to the cast. That’s gonna make it tough on guys like Blair and Matt Wisler. But the time for kid gloves (no pun intended. OK… it was intended) is over. It’s win or go home time.

Funny thing about Collmenter that might help his chances. If you pitch him following Julio and Folty, then he’s harder to hit because it screws with hitters’ timing. But he has to locate his pitches and limit his walks. If he can’t, he won’t pitch.

I would think it is a little early to give up on guys like Blair and Wisler. The are still really young and would be a number 5 on a contender. The are pitching like rookies normally do, one good game, two bad games. A number three will give you a good game to every bad game and a front line guy gives you a quality start every time out. Even Julio was spotty at times this season and he is the Braves de facto ace.

As far as Blair and Wisler go, they are getting there, just have not arrived as yet.

I am curious as to who it would take to get the Twinkies to give up Santana? His salary is not outlandish in today’s market and he would be the solid vet the Braves need. The Twins appear to be pretty far away from being a contender at this point and would not mind shedding payroll I would think. Likely would require a Mallex Smith type guy thrown in to make a deal.

Not having seen all that much of Ruiz, I cannot make a fair assessment at this point to his upside verses Garcia. It is not as if the Braves have a ton of money tied up in either player but Ruiz definitely has the bigger upside at this point.

Not having seen all that much of Ruiz, I cannot make a fair assessment at this point to his upside verses Garcia.

Given the way Adonis came on after his demotion/promotion, I don’t necessarily think Rio is an upgrade. But he’s a good compliment. He didn’t have eye popping numbers at AAA – .271/.355/.400, 10 HR, 24 2B, 3 3B, 62 RBI – but they are solid numbers. Compare those to Adonis’ ML numbers – .273/.311/.406, 14 HR, 29 2B, 0 3B, 65 RBI – are they that much different? And if Rio could bring his AAA numbers to ATL, there’s no dropoff. I also think there’s still room for a little more power development in Rio’s game. He may never be an All-Star, but he’s not a liability either.

Consider that each shows a dramatic improvement in their splits vs. the opposite side pitcher and they might make a good platoon at the hot corner.

It should be interesting to see how Ruiz reacts to the tutelage of Seitzer and Castro. Of course, so many things go into making a good hitter great or a fair hitter good.

I went back and revisited the Kelly Johnson trade of last summer to see who and how well Akeel Morris did in the Atlanta system. Not bad, he is still only 23 and was used as a reliever at Mississippi. I will be curious to see if he progresses to the show as quickly as Kelly Gant and Rob Whalen did. While neither Gant nor Whalen lit up the scoreboard, they are still very young and look to have great potential.

One has to wonder if the Mets will just go ahead and sign Kelly for 2017 and forgo giving up another prospect to get him from the Braves.

I think Kelly would still have value in Atlanta as a veteran left handed bat off the bench. I don’t think the Braves really have that many position players knocking on the door at this point. Most of the guys they brought up from Gwinnett this fall were veteran major league guys who were signed as minor league free agents for insurance.

I went back and revisited the Kelly Johnson trade of last summer to see who and how well Akeel Morris did in the Atlanta system. Not bad, he is still only 23 and was used as a reliever at Mississippi.

And they have him in the AFL right now. They must like him. He’s currently listed as the #27 prospect, with an ETA of 2016. Well, he missed that, but 2017 is a distinct possibility. Check this out, from his prospect report:

Morris’ success in the Minors has come largely from his fastball-changeup combination. He’ll pitch at 92-93 mph with his fastball, sometimes reaching back for 95-96 mph, and it has some good life to it. Morris will then throw what’s best been described as a Bugs Bunny changeup, an offspeed pitch thrown at around 76 mph, with the same arm speed, causing a ton of swings and misses. Those two pitches alone, thrown with deception thanks to a funky delivery, are the reason he held Minor League hitters to a .163 batting average against through his first three summers of pro ball.

I’ve heard about his change. They say it’s the best in the system at any level, including the majors.

The AFL can be deceptive too. It is not always about winning for the pitchers. Somewhat like spring training, young pitchers are there to work on stuff. Developing a new pitch like a slider or curve so sometimes a pitcher gets beat with with something that is not his best pitch.

Anyway, was just curious about him. I know some of the Mets fans think the Braves are picking them clean renting Kelly Johnson to them every year. I would not go that far but Coppy has made some pretty savvy moves flipping summer rentals.

According to Baseball America, the Braves re-signed Blake Lalli after he was outrighted last week. Because of his age and service time, he was eligible for minor league FA. He opted to re-up with a minor league deal.

Not much in baseball being published right now outside the respective LCS games. And truthfully, not much else is happening anyway. Everything I can find to digest this morning is just a regurgitation of everything we’ve discussed over and over like: Where will we find 2 pitchers? What does that mean for Matt Wisler and Aaron Blair? How will we find a catcher when the market is so bad? Will we look to 3B instead since C isn’t too optimistic? And what will the team do with their 4 capable OFs?

Funny thing is that most everyone is in agreement on all these questions. But something I read this morning did strike a bit of a chord with me. It was noted that Matt Kemp seems motivated to work into better shape in the offseason, and that since he ended this season injury free (after suffering a myriad of leg injuries over the last few seasons) that he will have a full offseason to get his work in with no limitations. That’s great, but not what I took away from it.

What it reminded me is that he has suffered a handful of leg injuries over the last few seasons, and that perhaps the team will not look to trade Markakis, instead preferring to keep this group of 4 OF intact to hedge their bets against another injury to Kemp. I mean… it’s not like it’s out of the realm of possibility, right? That’s not to say he’s “injury prone”, per se. But it’d be foolish to overlook his history and assume it’s all in the past. The more I thin about it, the more I’m convinced that they will keep all 4 unless they are presented with an offer they cannot refuse.

I think too that the simple fact that Mallex missed so much time at the end of 2016, and hasn’t exactly gotten his timing back as is evident in his first couple of weeks playing in the Mexican League, might give the team a good reason to give him a couple months at AAA to experience some success to start the 2017 campaign. — Now watch him come into Spring Training on fire and make the decisions hard for everyone. Then again, that’s a great problem to have, right?

I did not expect the Indians to sweep the Jays but it is Toronto which has the tougher path.

The Cubs played a bit flat last night.

Yes, it is quiet time in Atlanta as far as baseball is concerned. We could hash out trade possibilities ad nasum with little real effect. We just don’t have the information the Braves brass has at their disposal nor do we know who is calling who.

We do know Eddie Perez is managing a team in the Caribbean Winter Leagues. That he is interested in a big league manager’s job but I don’t believe he has the resume’ at this point to pull it off.

Funny you should mention Atlanta’s so called excess in the outfield, I’m sure Arizona felt the same way when they packed Enders off to the Braves before A.J. Pollock went down.

The Diamondbacks will be better in 2017 if only because Pollock will be back in their line-up. David Peralta fighting wrist problems did not help them either.

At this point, we should all be acutely aware of the significant impact a wrist injury can have to a ball players power. Just as in golf, wrist cock is what give a ball that added oomph. Being able to maser it is the difference in hitting a golf ball 250 yards rather than 200 yards. Several times on the Braves broadcast, they showed Ender work on a drill that showed him working on the same. We all saw the difference in Freddie’s swing after his wrist healed sufficiently.

Sometimes you have to wonder if a switch just clicked on when a young pitcher realizes he does not have to be cute and just goes after hitters. Sure, a soft tossing guy like Colmenter has to work the edges but when a guy has 97mph gas, not so much…

Totally agree on Newcomb. His only obstacle has been control, which is always the last thing to come along in a young pitcher. And he seemingly came to grips with it (pun 100% intended) at season’s end. As much as we’ve put hopes on Wisler and Blair, Newcomb “out-talents” each of them. There’s a big reason he’s the team’s #3 prospect. He should open 2017 in AAA Gwinnett since he’s had no time above AA. But Coppy made it very clear that each spot in the rotation is up for audition. Win the audition; win the job. I give Newcomb as much chance to win the #5 as I do Wisler or Blair. But all things being equal, he should open 2017 at AAA.

Of the 6 players the Braves assigned to Salt River of the Arizona Fall League this year, only one was originally drafted by the Braves, pitcher Evan Phillips.
The AFL is stocked with six players from each MLB team with players who are assigned to either double A or triple A, one of the six can be a Single A player.

The other 5 assigned by the Braves all came to the Braves in trades. Dylan Moore SS (Texas) as part of the three way trade with the Marlins for Jeff Francoeur; Travis Demeritte 2B,3B (Texas) for Lucas Harrell: Dustin Peterson OF (Arizona) as part of the Justin Upton deal; Chris Ellis P (LA Angles) for Simba and Akeel Morris P (Mets) for Kelly Johnson trade part 2.

I am not sure if it speaks well of Coppy’s ability to get value in return for players or the dearth of talent assembled under the Frank Wren’s tenure. Maybe both.

By the way, if Kade ever makes it to the show, I can see announcers everywhere butchering the pronunciation of his last name… DUH.. I have no clue other than someone either dropped the scrabble box or felt really generous with silent letters… Has to be a Cajun name so a heavy influence of French.

Perhaps it is more like sih-VIC-kee, but my southernness makes me say suh. I’ve heard it pronounced that way by commentators. If you go by what the computer spits out, its sih-VICK.

Who knows?

UGA has a guy named Quincy Mauger who is a senior defensive back. He’s played alot of minutes since his freshman year in 2013, and for the last 3 years the announcers have called him MAW-ger. Now suddenly this year it’s mo-ZHAY. Go figure.

Braves pitcher Matt Marksberry was being treated for severe dehydration in an Orlando-area hospital Wednesday after going in for a procedure unrelated to baseball.

A Facebook post from his brother Wednesday afternoon said that Marksberry was on life support. Others familiar with the situation said Wednesday night that the pitcher was unconscious but not on life support and that his vital signs were stable.

A Braves spokesman said Marksberry was being treated for “severe dehydration” and that HIPAA rules prohibited the team from divulging any further information. The rules are particularly restrictive since Marksberry’s health situation was not baseball-related.

Marksberry, 26, said on his Twitter page Monday: “I don’t want to sound selfish but I really could use some prayers for my health right now. Non baseball related. Thank you guys.”

Rumors spread among friends of Marksberry on Facebook and Twitter that he had suffered a stroke and collapsed lung during the procedure. The Braves would not comment on either of those or other details.

A post on his brother Ethan Marksberry’s Facebook page at about 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon said that Ethan had received a phone call from his mother and found out his brother was on life support. His parents were traveling to Florida from their Ohio home Wednesday after learning of his condition.

Comparing all the reports I’ve seen, it looks like he was admitted for a non-baseball condition, and the docs discovered he was severely dehydrated. Not sure if that’s his only malady or not. It isn’t clear. But the severe dehydration part has been confirmed by the Braves.

Also, it doesn’t look like he has been on any life support. That apparently was tweeted by someone and went viral. It would seem that he has been unconscious, but no one will confirm that part of it. It’s all being kept very close to the vest, as per HIPAA laws. As the family chooses to release info, we’ll get it. Until then it’s all speculation.

To recap, we know he’s in the hospital and being treated for severe dehydration. That’s all we really know to be fact. I would expect a little more clarification today.

Severe dehydration is usually as a result of acute diarrhea. The stroke and collapsed lung are a head scratcher. Unless they were going to treat him with dialysis and were putting in a shunt. As always, we will find out eventually. Prayers delivered for this young man.

He’s a guy that I’ve been rooting for. He’s an underdog among all the other more highly touted guys. On the day that Coppy had the Q&A session on the radio, Marksberry called in just to say that he was working hard to get better so that he could be on the ML team. I loved that! Who does that?

At any rate, you can bet I’ll be even more in his corner now. He seems to be a really decent kid chasing his dream. I hope he gets it.

Other news… Great game if you are/were a Cubs fan. The momentum has swung back to the Chicago dugout.

Got to see a bunch of Braves alumni in the game, Heyward of course but Alex Wood and Luis Avilan too. Avilan was let down by his defense last night.

I’m thinking, of all the trades made by Coppy, the one to acquire Olivera has to be the one to give pause. One has to wonder if the scouts who recommend Hector are still on the payroll? The only thing that would make it a not so horrible trade is if Paco Rodriquez lives up to his potential.

Kemp could have been had for a song from an organization which was looking to dump salary. Of course Jim Johnson bounced back after a horrible experience in LA.

There are still a couple of young arms toiling in Double A Mississippi the Braves got in return for Bud Norris but as a whole, it would seem to me, trading with LA has not been a net plus.

Timing is everything, especially in baseball. So many things go into a batting average. What I believe to be a better indicator is balls put in play and if they are hard hit etc. Things we do not get from the line score.

I remember Marcus Giles pre and post PED use. Lots of warning track power in the post PED era. It was fairly obvious, even to an untrained observer like me. Pretty much the same thing happened with his brother Brian.

So, I still like Mallex and I think he will grow into his body in the next couple of years and add some power. That can be both a good and bad thing. He must always remember to use his talents for good… 🙂 He can be a very good lead off or number two guy in a line up that has so pop behind him and he can still hit ten homers a season. I think he has a huge upside.

Apparently he was having digestive issues and went to hospital. They were doing a colonoscopy when he had a seizure. Has been in medically induced coma. DOB reports that Marksbery’s brother says they have removed the trach tube and are bringing him out.

In less important news….Cubs look to be in good shape…hopefully I am not jinxing them by saying this! I have actually felt bad for the Dodgers…a gritty gutty 500 Billion dollar team…how is that even possible? 😉
Still, gotta root, root, root for the Cubbies, for if they don’t win…..its a shame! 😛
That team has more talent than 2-3 normal teams….still, I hope they win it all this year….Cleveland has played out of their heads….missing 3 of their 5 starters, and somehow it hasn’t mattered…I know it’s been like 68 years since Cleveland won the W.S. but the cubs haven’t even been to the W.S. in over 70 years….

You see, I’m a hard working American… one of a rare and dying breed. I actually get up early and am semi-productive. I have to be. I have millions of documented and undocumented non-taxpayers to support. I have to go to bed and get some rest so that I can get up and look at Braves news to report on in the morning. Oh, and eventually get to work too.

But somewhere along the way MLB has forgotten that games can’t stretch to 4 hours so that they can milk all they can from advertisers.

For a sport that is supposedly taking steps to shorten games, they allowed last night’s game to stretch out to 4 hrs. 16 min. Tell me again the definition of hypocrisy?

True statement: The true heart of a person is not revealed in what they say, but in what they do.

Baseball cares nothing about pace of the games. It makes for great lip service, but means nothing if it costs a single cent in advertising revenue.

Speaking of morning efforts, I am having computer issues this morning. It’s in my box somewhere, but I cannot connect to alot of the sites I frequent. I cannot even connect to mlb.com. I’m working through the handicap. I am on a side laptop while my desktop is going through a system restore.

God has a sharp sense of humor. After having computer issues and doing a system restore. I was seriously seeking a good definition for “askew”, so I typed it into google. When you do that, google tilts all the script on the screen. Very funny, but after already going through a system restore, I thought my computer was toast.

Likely, Windows downloaded a bunch of updates and caused the confusion.. The nerds at Microsoft must really get a kick out that..

The slowness of the game is directly related to the time between pitches and the pitching changes themselves… It’s enough to try the patience of even the most die hard fan.

By the way, we on social security than you…

Funny how the pols always talk about how social security is running out of money after they are the ones who raided the trust fund. They never seem to have any problem spending money they don’t have for their pet projects.

Hint, government employees do not have to pay into SS. Not to worry though, Hillary will do everything in her power to take our guns away so we will have to remain meek about it…

What is the old saw? You cannot cheat an honest man? Maybe it is why so many are easily swindled…

What hypocrites they are. Complaining foreign governments might try to influence our elections… Like we don’t do the same thing… I guess they know how it’s done and it scares them…

I know that “journalism” has changed quite a bit over the last decade with the advent of the the internet and instantaneous news without vetting, but I had held out hope that there was still a small amount of editing to be done somewhere. I can read stuff now that needs serious proof-reading before publication.

For instance, here is the latest news report on Matt Marksberry, that was published last night by 11 Alive, one of the local TV channels:

Atlanta Braves pitcher Matt Marksberry is waking up from a medically-induced coma at an Orlando hospital after suffering from a seizure and collapsed lung from a routine medical procedure, according to a source close to the Marksberry family.

*The 26-year-old pitcher was removed from life support and is breathing on his own, sources said Thursday evening.”

*Marksberry went to the hospital Thursday for a colonoscopy because of severe stomach issues he had been suffering from for more than a week, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.”

So I should be able to take from the text that the colonoscopy caused the collapsed lung. Did they take a horribly wrong turn with that thing? I mean, last I checked, the lungs aren’t that close to the colon. And if I understand the procedure of a colonoscopy – shudder – then the point of entry and path of travel don’t travel very close to the lungs.

The reasonable person with common sense can maybe deduce that the procedure prompted the seizure, and that the lung collapsed during the seizure. But that’s not what the news piece says. And quite honestly, common sense is not very common anymore.

A little late on this, but last week Buster Olney, who is not one of my favorites, continued to fuel the McCann to Atlanta rumors.

He said “the Braves, Astros, Rockies, Nationals, Mariners, and Angels as speculative fits for McCann,” and cited MLB sources who believe it is “far more likely the team trades him this winter than retains him.”

“The clear favorite for McCann’s services this winter if a deal does go down remains the Atlanta Braves, however. The two clubs held extensive talks in the days leading up to the August 1st trade deadline.”

“McCann will have considerable say over where he ends up because of his full no trade clause, and Atlanta could be his preferred landing spot because it is where he still maintains his offseason home after spending the first nine years of his MLB career as a Brave.”

I see more than one problem there…

As much as Olney wants to pump up anything Yankees related, this is really a non-story. The Yankees asked for a totally unreasonable return for Mac when the 2 teams talked in August. In fact, Coppy is probably still laughing from the ridiculous package of Folty/Inciarte that Brian Cashman asked for. So when he says “the two clubs held extensive talks”, I suspect it was more of a short one-sided conversation followed by a click and a hum. Maybe Coppy did reply with the statement, “Ha ha ha. That’s a good one. You aren’t serious, right?” But I can’t see it getting any more “extensive” than that.

Second, the Braves are NOT looking for a declining veteran with an onerous contract. In fact, they went to great pains, and some of it has been painful, to shed themselves of those type deals. They even gave away the best closer in the game to shed a contract of that type. I doubt they’re willing to give away one of their best current starting pitchers by himself for an aging veteran whose falling numbers, still propped up to a certain degree by a lefty-hitting-batter-friendly home park, are trending in the opposite direction from where the team wants to go.

Mac might prefer to come to Atlanta. He probably does. That I cannot deny. But I don’t think the Braves want him to come back here… not unless the Yankees eat a significant portion of his remaining deal and will take back John Gant and Mel Rojas, Jr. in return.

But we’ll continue to hear about it because guys like Olney perpetuate it… on purpose…. even when it has no real merit. That’s why I no longer care for guys like Olney. They are more concerned with “clicks” than real truth.

I started experiencing problems with my internet again, and hung my head. Then I decided to see if it was just me, and found this reported on Fortune.com:

It looks like the outages are the result of a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack on Dyn, a major DNS host based in New Hampshire. Some sites said the attacks started at 7 a.m. Friday.

Popular tech site Hacker News reported many other sites were affected including Etsy, Spotify, Github, Soundcloud, and Heroku. Fortune’s parent company Time Inc., was also affected

Twitter, the popular social network which serves as a de facto news feed for many people, was not accessible to many users in Boston, parts of the New York Metro area, New Hampshire, and San Francisco, from approximately 8:15 a.m. through 8:38 a.m. EDT

And also NE GA, where it’s down again. I spent alot of this morning working on my computer when the problem was external. Kinda hacks me off. I wasted over an hour.

Back to baseball. Should the Cubbies feel pretty good going up 3-2 and heading home for the last game(s)?

Well, of course they should, except…

… they’ll face Clayton Kershaw in Game 6, and Rich Hill in a possible Game 7.

Normally I’d have to give any team the edge if they’re up 3-2 and going home for the final game or games. But man, Kershaw and Hill are a tough order. In fact, didn’t Kershaw and Hill, along with LA’s stellar bullpen, just shut the Cubs out in 2 straight games 2 & 3? I think they did.

Ought to be good. Too bad they won’t start these games early enough for me to watch them.

That’s why I no longer care for guys like Olney. They are more concerned with “clicks” than real truth.

Yeah, but he made you look anyway… 🙂

People always think you have to do wide spread damage to upset the apple cart in the US but the truth is you only need to pin point the attacks to the nerve centers. Like when all the ATMs on the east coast stopped working after a flood in New Jersey and I don’t mean Sandy.

On McCann, I’d take him but not at a huge cost. I love the guy but not at the expense of the future.

The Redskins did that by signing past his Prime Time, Dion Sanders… It is what happens when the owner thinks he has a real live fantasy team.

I look for a Derrick Norris type to sign with Atlanta but you never know.

Yes, it is why the real key to short series is still pitching. I don’t know that they can both go nine innings and the LA pen is one leaky mess…

I hate it when hackers hack me off! 😛 My first thought is – What setting have I changed that caused this? Then spent hours checking every possible setting only to discover that it wasn’t my fault at all.

It’s hard to think of McCann as an aging veteran. It seems that it was only a couple of years ago that he was the fresh-faced rookie on the team and Chipper was teaching him baseball.

I look for a Derrick Norris type to sign with Atlanta but you never know.

Derek Norris will be a trade guy, and a good “buy low” candidate. San Diego has a couple of young catchers not named Bethancourt that they really like, so they don’t need Norris. Sadly for them, he had a rotten season at the plate. That said, with the catching market being so bad, they’ll still get a pretty good return for him. They just won’t get a Shelbyian return for him.

Here’s the pluses regarding Norris, his bad offensive season notwithstanding. #1, He’s still got 2 more years of team control. #2, and more importantly, Baseball Prospectus rates him among the league’s best pitch framers over the last 2 years. And for whatever value this basement born boutique stat carries, his DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) is the 2nd best in all of MLB behind the plate.

Of course, his anemic .186/.255/.328 slash line from 2016 can’t be overlooked. But he still hit 14 HR. I like to think that his 2015 slash line of .250/.305/.404 is more representative since he had roughly those same type numbers for 2013-2015. Maybe he just needs a fresh start in a fresh place. He could be a classic “change of scenery” guy.

As long as he won’t cost too much in terms of whom we’d trade, I have no problem with Norris. I think he’s a great bounce back candidate. And there’s no long term commitment to him.

I remember, Gil. His divorce, which was occurring at the same time, was bearing heavily on him at the same time. I think he just couldn’t deal with both. He blamed himself for letting the team down, as he saw it, and them losing. I really like him and was sorry that he gave up. I’ve often wondered about his mental makeup. Maybe he just didn’t have that mental toughness we’ve seen in so many others – Glavine, Smoltz, Wagner, etc. Just some passing thoughts on it.

Braves sign journeyman lefty reliever Sam Freeman, 29, (no relation to Morgan) to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Not exactly a blockbuster deal but another project for the pitching staff.

Bowman opines about the possible return of McCann. I’m neutral about it. If he can be had cheap, I’m okay with it. That means the Yankees eat a lot of his contract. Besides, the Braves have to have someone to bat eight…

Too bad they won’t start these games early enough for me to watch them.
Come on now V, I understand on week nights, but game 6 is on a Saturday night, I mean, if old guys like Gil and I can stay up, so can you! 😉

Not that you are going to need to stay up late to know the outcome of this game! Other folks good karma is going to overcome my less than good karma…I can even say at 9:49 PM the Cubs are going to the W.S.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Come on now V, I understand on week nights, but game 6 is on a Saturday night.

Yep. And Sunday is one of the busiest days I have. I’m still up at 7am. That said…

I actually did see the whole game. A friend had set up a TV outside on his patio with a couple chairs set up around a fire pit. I got an invite. That was the best. And he’s the local HS baseball coach, so the baseball talk was equally good. Great time.

And once again, we get every single game of the Fall Classic (a/k/a Fallen Classic) starting too late for kids to watch. Do they really wonder why the younger generation has turned to basketball and football, games that actually air when they are awake? Just plain stupid.

I’m beginning to understand why the fantasy baseball mania exists. You can do it during normal waking hours and it doesn’t take 4 hours to finish.

And here we go. No prophet star warranted. Not a tough call. They are the best teams in their respective leagues. It’s pretty cool to have that for once. It’s also pretty cool to NOT have a Wild Card team riding a hot streak. This will be genuine. The Indians were the best team I saw the Braves play all year. The Cubs have an unbelievable lineup top to bottom.

I also love that both teams originated in their home cities.

I’m actually torn between whom I want to root for. I like them both. I’m not really caught up in the whole “broken curse” thing because the 2016 Chicago Cubs stand on their own with no tangible connection to any goat or barkeep or anything else. Heck, I’d be willing to bet that there are some guys on this team that can’t even remember when the lights were installed at Wrigley.

Funny thing about trying to stay neutral in a contest, unless you don’t watch at all, you find yourself rooting for one or the other of the participants. I could go either way on this one. It was easy for me to root for the Cubs and the Indians as they made their way through their respective play-offs but now, not so much.

While I am somewhat more familiar with the Cubs roster, the Indians not not completely unknown to me. I doubt I will watch each game from first pitch to last, I probably will watch most of the games after 10 PM.

By the way VOX, if you don’t want to stay up late, you can always watch the games on the MLB network during the following day. Of course, when you know the outcome, it is a bit anticlimactic.

Funny thing about trying to stay neutral in a contest, unless you don’t watch at all, you find yourself rooting for one or the other of the participants. I could go either way on this one.

Gil, it’s funny you say that, but yep…we do do that, don’t we? I mean, I have seen games I just can’t get behind either team…and I am usually bored with those games…flip away…often never to return…

there should have been NO reason to root for the Rich Dodgers from La-La land…yet, there I was really liking that team. Made no sense, but for the most part, they were a scrappy underdog team…clearly all that money spent on the team (By the former GM of the Tampa Bay Rays, who had to forever trade folks like David Price cuz they couldn’t afford them) hasn’t paid off the way you would think….Puig was a bench guy…everyone from Alex Wood to the other 11 starters that were hurt couldn’t help the team…clearly the Cubs have more talent….so it’s odd for me to root for the team that is the best team, unless it was the Braves…But, couldn’t not root for the Cubbies to win it all.

I watched many a cubs game in my life….in the 80’s they were a bit better than the braves, and I could watch some of the game in the middle of the day if I had the chance….Loved Harry Carey. Loved the fact my Dad used to to listen to him to Cardinal games in the 40s…not one of those fancy transistor radios rich folks like Gil listened to, but a good old fashioned portable tube radio…(of course in the fact transistor radios didn’t exist in the 40’s , is a moot point 😛 ) but after Harry was gone, a lot changed on WGN…they clearly didn’t want an interesting, opinionated broadcaster they couldn’t control…WGN , and the Cubs weren’t worth watching anymore…and the braves got better and better, and I now lived in the ATL (well, south of the ATL) easy to just follow the braves…
but, long boring story short, I still have a soft spot for the Cubbies and will root for them to win it all….of course, they will be the team to beat for the next 5 years, the Indians likely have a much smaller window to win….darn it brain stop!!!!!

I can remember coming home from work back in the late 80’s and turning on WGN to catch the last innings of the Cubs home games before the Braves hit the SuperStation. Andre Dawson was my fave. They had Ryne Sandberg, Leon Durham, Shawon Dunstan, and Rick Sutcliffe, too. I loved that team.

Still, it’s a different year and a different team. I’m still working it out.

[The Cubs] might make the next eight World Series. No organization currently finds itself in a better place. Anthony Rizzo‘s under control another five years. Same with Addison Russell, and Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez, and Jon Lester, and Kyle Schwarber. There are four more years of Kyle Hendricks. There are six more years of Willson Contreras. And so on. The Cubs are overflowing, to such an extent that it hardly even matters that Jason Heyward‘s been a total bust.

I think it is a bit harsh to call Heyward a total bust. Sure, if you are picking fantasy team playoff but he is solid even through he is overpaid. The Cubs will have to eat a lot of his contract if they trade him but they will be able to afford it.

Memory Lane: I remember as a young youngster watching the weekly Saturday afternoon games (mostly featuring either the Yankees or the Bronx Bombers) on a black and white TV with my Ganddaddy. Yogi was behind the plate, to give you an idea of the players I watched. Too bad I wasn’t really aware of their greatness at the time! Sometimes he’d get so aggravated he’d turn it off and go out to cut the grass – on one of those old push mowers that ran strictly on ‘man’ power. Those were the days, let me tell ya!

It’s hard to understand how a young man with such outstanding potential fell apart so quickly. When I think of Jason Heyward, I recall a quiet, polite youngster who stood tall and upright when the National Anthem was sung, hand over his heart. Did so much money do that much damage? I remember parents who were so overwhelmingly proud of their son. Was it a case of “Frenchy, part II”. It’s sad, whatever it was.

It’s hard to understand how a young man with such outstanding potential fell apart so quickly.

There are several elements at work here…

#1- He was a local kid from the south side of Atlanta that drew alot of attention when he was drafted by the Braves, especially in a system that had already been gutted and had a dearth of real talent to be excited about. The fact that he is an African-American and was drafted at a time when a local media blowhard was making alot of noise about baseball discriminating against African-Americans made it much more prominent.

#2- As alluded to above, there wasn’t alot else to be excited about in the pipeline aside from Freddie Freeman. And JHey was dropping bombs all over the minor league landscape. We always tend to overvalue our own prospects a little bit, but JHey was built into an idol of sorts. He was being compared to such greats as Andre Dawson and Dave Parker. That’s high cotton right there.

#3- His legend grew when he unleashed a barrage of HR’s in a Spring Training batting practice that dented the cars of Braves employees outside the RF fence at Disney, prompting the construction of tents to protect them.

#4- And of course in his first ML at-bat, the 21-year-old JHey blasted a 3-run homer to deep RF off Carlos Zambrano that paved the way for an All-Star selection.

Here’s where things began to happen. He had that thumb injury later in his rookie season that sidelined him, so we’ll never really know how pitchers would have adjusted to him that season. But adjust they did. With rookies, pitchers usually begin to make adjustments in the 2nd half of the season, especially after they’ve seen the team a time or two and begin to compile “the book” on a hitter. So they waited until 2011 to begin to exploit his weaknesses. He never adjusted.

That’s the real test of a young hitter. As the pitchers make adjustments, can the hitter adjust in kind? If so, then the hitter will continue on his star track. If not… well, then you see why Jason Heyward is so disappointing now.

But here’s the thing, the Braves saw it in 2012 when he struck out an alarming 152 times. Interestingly, though, that’s the only year of his ML career he has hit more than 20 HR in a season. Not sure how he maintains the tag of “slugger” when he doesn’t slug? How about this fact: David Ross hit more HR’s than Heyward this season (10-7) in far fewer AB’s (166-530). That is alarming.

When Frank Wren went on his happy spree of awarding multi-year deals to all the young “core” players in 2014, JHey wasn’t offered. I suppose Frank got that one right, at least. And when John Hart & Co. got here in 2015, they recognized they better get something while the getting was good, and they made a deal as quickly as possible before the JHey star tarnished.

The simple fact is that JHey has serious vulnerability at the plate that pitchers figured out a while back, and he never made the adjustment as great hitters do. So the pitchers continue to go to the well, and JHey continues to flounder. If it weren’t for his stellar defense, he’d have been labeled a bust long before now. But he continues to provide a great glove and a great arm in RF.

That’s not to say that he can’t get back to where he needs to be. Maybe with the right hitting coach and some serious work, he can begin to make the adjustments that are long overdue. But as for now, his bat is a bust.

Wow. Here’s an eye-popping number I just ran across. We all, me especially, felt that Wrigley Field was probably the perfect landing place for JHey to rejuvenate his bat and his power. He hit exactly 3 HR’s in “the friendly confines” this season. Yowser!

JHey did finally pay big dividends for the Braves though. The complete trade of JHey (and the oft injured Jordan Walden) to STL yielded Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins. And of course the Braves turned around and flipped Shelby after 1 season to ARI for Dansby, Ender, and Aaron Blair.

What we’ll get from Jenkins and Blair is still TBD. But we know what we have in Dansby and Ender, and it’s gooooood. Not at all a bad return from a guy who never consistently reached his star potential, eh?

No, what I was alluding to was Heyward’s defense and his running. I think his not hitting is 5o% mental and 50% mechanical and 100% messed up. For him, it is a deadly combination. I look for him to be shipped off to the nether regions if his bat does not come around next season. The Cubs will take the hit and another club will reap his services at a much discounted price.

At this point, he is being blown away with inside fastballs…

Still, Heyward was/is very articulate and very fan friendly. Alas, he came up pretty early.

And yes, he did produce a couple of really nice pieces for the Braves in the long run.

So, the big series begins tonight. Schwarber returns as a DH and the Cubs look better on paper than the Indians but I would not count the Tribe out by ant means, Every team the Indians have played so far were favored to beat them.

You know, perhaps the high hard one that hit him in the face did more damage than originally though. Hard not to flinch sometimes, it is purely a reflex action in most cases and not intentional. That and the plethora of pitchers throwing 95 mph plus… Remember when 95 was considered blazing? Now it’s pretty pedestrian. It’s a wonder anybody gets a hit.

Washington State head football coach Mike Leach yesterday, when asked at his weekly press conference who he likes in the World Series:

There’s some teams — the Cubs are one of them — where there’s just too many Cubs fans. They’re one of those teams that, for whatever reason — I guess it’s cause people like the way their uniforms look or something — every yuppie with a BMW or some special attachment to its computer or some designer set of jeans or something like that is a Cubs fan, and refers to it as ‘my Cubbies.’

Ha ha ha… and there’s more.

If you say ‘my’ in front of your team, well, then that’s dubious, OK? You know, ‘my this, my that.’ Come on, now. And so you get ‘my Cubbies.’ You don’t get ‘my Indians.’ You get ‘my Cubbies,’ OK?

And I think there’s just too many out-of-the-woodwork people that like ‘em that just like ‘em cause they like the uniforms, don’t know the first thing about baseball, probably have never even attended a Cubs game, but that’s just gonna be their team since they have something to talk about over the copy machine and the cooler.

So as a result, you know, going against the whole wave of probably seven-eighths of America, I want the Indians. Me and the city of Cleveland.

It’s like when we played Navy, when I was at Texas Tech. We played Navy. So we beat Navy, and it was right during the Gulf War, so we beat Navy, which was quite a deal, cause there was 300 million people that were ticked off and 250,000 that were happy. It’s like being the Oakland Raiders in the 70s. It was awesome.

Ha ha ha ha ha…

If you don’t know much about Mike Leach, what you just saw is pretty much what you get with Leach. He marches to the beat of his own drummer, and always has. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. It has cost him his job a time or two. But he’s never conformed to the norm.

I have to admit, he’s almost got me convinced. I do love a good underdog…

Their are lots of Cubs fans for the same reason there are/were lots of Braves fans. Cable TV… Before Major League Baseball figured out they could squeeze an extra nickle out of baseball fans by restricting out of market games, they, like the Braves were on national TV every night.

Of course the Cubs will be sentimental favorite if only because they have not won a World Series since 1907.. Folks, that is a serious drought.

Of course, I would never say “my Cubbies” because they are not my team. Here is my problem. I like both teams… I am still not sure who I am rooting for so maybe my heart will reveal itself when the first run is scored. Perhaps I will root for the team that is getting snubbed by the media. I’ll know tonight.

Hi Braves Fans, well baseball is almost over. We have 7 more games of baseball and then 2016 will be in the bag. I do not have a favorite team, that is playing the World Series, but it is baseball, and I will happily watch it, anything that will erase this political season from my mind, if only for a few hours. We have the cold weather, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and new Years, and then we will patiently wait for spring training and get to watch our beloved team, The Braves. Who will we see, who will be gone, and who will be there next year. As Julia Andrews sings in “Sound of Music” These are a few of my favorite things. So, I stopped by to say Hi and let watch some baseball. 🙂

I love ‘Major League.’ Could watch it every day, I think. If I had time, that is. The guy sent off to find a chicken, comes back with a box of Kentucky Fried. The manager putting the team guy off because he’s about to sell a set of tires. Just so many funny things. The others just didn’t quite reach the level of the first one. It could have been better without the tacky and predictable “romance” parts, but it’s still one of my all-time favorites.

The problem with sequels is the inability to both imitate the original and still come up with fresh ideas. Unless you begin it as a trilogy, they just fall flat.

The only movies which were sequels were as good as the original were the Jason Bourne series (The ones with Matt Damon).

I read the Bourne series when they first came out. Trust me, Robert Ludlum can be a tough read. He was Tom Clancy before Tom Clancy… Still, his writing is on a much higher reading level than your typical novelist.

Man, a whole lotta postin’ going on! I had to read in two shifts, and by then…I didn’t have time to say nothin’, not no how…
v, before you turned turncoat and jumped on the Tribe bandwagon( 😆 ) you said…I can remember coming home from work back in the late 80’s and turning on WGN to catch the last innings of the Cubs home games before the Braves hit the SuperStation. Andre Dawson was my fave. They had Ryne Sandberg, Leon Durham, Shawon Dunstan, and Rick Sutcliffe, too. I loved that team.

I loved that team too! I guess once I had cable in Sept of 83 in Jacksonville, I caught a few games of both teams…just to watch more than the Cards on TV was amazing…
and 1984…oh 1984…the year that could have been. My cubbies…err… the Cubs shoulda been in the World Series verses the Tigers…man, that would have been amazing with both old franchises , old parks getting in the spotlight…but no, Steve Garvey had to do some fancy hitting an opposite field homer off of Lee Smith …man I hated Steve Garvey…always liked Don Sutton for getting in a fight for him…but …Steve Garvey is a HOF’er yet, like Ted Simmons, isn’t for reasons I do not know…
Anyway, sidetracked…those 84 Cubs, had a lot of the players you mentioned V….Ryne Sandberg, Leon Durham, Shawon Dunston, and Rick Sutcliffe, along with Bob Dernier, who stole 45 bases in 1984, and was out of baseball by the age of 32.
Gary Matthews the Sarge , was one of my favs, always running like his pants were on fire, knocking off his helmet as he ran past first…had a .410 OBP that year…never knew that…Lil Ron Cey (5 “10 it says, yeah right) the Penguin was 36 , clearly too old to be any good , which is why the Dodgers traded him away for 2 guys that never even played with the Dodgers ….he only hit 20 + homers 3 straight years for the Cubs, with his best in year in 1984 being 25 HR’s and 97 RBI’s Catching duties were handled by Jody, Jody Davis (Sung by Harry Carey to the theme of Davy, Davy Crocket nearly every time he came up) was one of the few young guys on the team, 27, and had 19 Homers to go along with 94 RBI’s…another guy that burned out quickly…3 very good years offensively, then, who knows? Injury? Age caught up to him quicker than most? Naturally, he ended up finishing his career with the braves as catcher who sadly couldn’t hit anymore…wow, still in baseball, a hitting coach in the Reds organization…good for him! I also didn’t know the Cubs got him as a rule 5 pic from the Cards…and is a cousin of Wade Davis…
Right handed 1st baseman Keith Moreland seemed to have an amazing ability to hit better with 2 strikes than anyone I can recall back then(usually right down the right field line) at least for a few years….
38 Y.O. Larry Bowa at SS…Ugh…never did like him…that fine offensive team, and he drove in…17 RBI’s. How is that even possible??? .274 OBP….ugh….
Anyway….man, didn’t mean to rattle on so much…but that was such a fun team….Harry Carey hadn’t had the stroke yet, he was so funny, and so opinionated when a player wasn’t hustling….Did I mention Dennis Eckersley was on that team? As a Starter too…

scratch that…Shawon Dunston didn’t join the Cubs til 1985…but he made many a cubs fan happy taking playing time from Bowa….and what an arm! I still don’t know that I have seen a SS throw as hard as he did….

Yes. I did that. And there’s plenty of room. Like Mike Leach said, it appears the Cubs and their history are getting a lion’s share of attention. And that’s OK. One of the beautiful things about baseball is the way it honors its history. I can’t say that about all sports. I certainly won’t go all hang dog if CHI wins it. I’m just afraid they’ll burn down the north side of Chicago the same way they burn down the south side on a regular basis.

BTW- In an unusual move for me, especially after repeatedly expressing my frustration with starting times, I watched the final 3 innings of the game. Go figure. But I turned it on as Andrew Miller entered the game. What a slider that dude slings. How any LH gets a bat on it is beyond me. And has the 8th inning bomb hit by Jose Ramirez even landed yet?

I’m telling you, this is gonna be one entertaining Series. I hope I get to watch more of it.

And MLB, in a proactive move that I applaude, is moving the start time for tonight’s Game 2 up one hour to 7:08 pm ET due to expected rain in the Cleveland area. Of course, if they are really worried about it, wouldn’t you give yourself a little more of a window of error than just 1 hour?

Can’t lose too much of that prime time TV money, I suppose.

Naturally it occurs on a Wednesday, when I won’t be home until close to 10pm. Maybe I can at least catch the last inning(s) again.

All during the game last night, I kept asking, “Who are these guys?” in reference to their line up. Still the best team no one has ever heard of. Kurber was nasty last night. Just deadly with his cutter/slider/two seamer whatever it was that moved like a Greg Maddux fastball.

The Cubs had their chances but could not get the big hit when they needed it. Still, the game was manageable for them until Perez hit his second homerun.

Vee, if you only saw Miller pitch, you missed the best pitcher Cleveland used last night. I watched Miller pitch in the ALCS and he was much sharper then. Still, he managed a huge third out in the 7th.

Say Gil… you know that CLE got Kluber out of the Padres system, right? As you have often said, SD has provided a myriad of stars for alot of ML teams… just not their own. And as is typical for SD, they received 2 pretty bad half seasons (post-deadline 2010 and pre-deadline 2011) from Ryan Ludwyck for their trouble.

For those keeping track of such things, in a very important table-setting Game 1 of the World Series, Chris Coghlan got the start in RF for the Cubs, and Albert Almora, Jr. was a late inning replacement. Jason Heyward kept a spot on the bench warm and ate alot of sunflower seeds.

Turning my attention back to the Braves, another minor league FA returned to the Braves system after being outrighted. According to MiLB Roster Tracker, OF Matt Tuiasosopo signed a minor league deal. He joins P Joel de le Cruz and C Blake Lalli in that respect. All these guys are minor league filler and nothing to get excited about.

And we haven’t talked much at all about newcomer LHRP Sam Freeman, whom Gil noted over the weekend was signed by the Johns. His is also a minor league contract, but he has gotten the treasured invitation to Spring Training. He’s a smallish lefty (5’11”, 180 lbs.) who “relies on a four-seam fastball that sits at a pretty steady 95 and a splitter that they call much firmer than usual at about 86 MPH. He shows a sinker at 95 and a slider at 85. His sinker is of the hard and heavy variety, generating ground balls at about a 60% rate. His split has some arm-side run and and like the sinker generates a ton of ground balls. His slider is basically a show pitch with good depth but hitters don’t miss it much when they swing and then tend to get it up in the air when they connect.” (info courtesy of Tomahawk Take’s Fred Owens)

Nothing else to add to that. Pretty comprehensive.

I have no idea if he has a shot to make this year’s ‘pen, but the team is once again stocking up on arms and building depth. And you can never have too many lefties in the pantry. Good strategy IMO.

And you just never know who the next “breakthrough” player will be. Just ask the Padres… Sigh, if only their upper management could see the same potential their scouts often do. Like I said, the current version of the Montreal Expos.

I think Jason Heyward will be dumped with the Cubs eating a very large contract. He will end up being a great bargain for some club looking to rehabilitate him with the Cubs paying his salary.

Looking back at J-Hey’s career, too often trying to live up to expectations of hitting 40 home runs a year. Cut down on his swing and hit the ball to left and you might have something. His defense is still stellar.

Hey, the Melvin Upton can play on a major league team, there is certainly a place for Heyward.

So, what will the Cubs do with Lester when David Ross is no longer behind the plate to bail him out?

Vee, Freeman profiles as the guy in the pen you call upon for a DP ground ball. Throws two pitches and done for the night…

If Hillary Clinton wins this election, in 3 years you won’t be able to find 10 people in 100 who will admit they voted for her. Of course it won’t make any difference by then because we will have 10 million new hispanic voters on the rolls by then.

Okay, enough about politics, God has a plan, I will have to trust him to work it out.

Checking in on the Braves youngsters playing in the AFL, I ran across a player on the same team, Jarred Miller, an Arizona farm hand who played with Dansby Swanson at Vanderbilt. In 9 innings, he has 18 strike outs and 2 walks and zero earned runs given up… Whew, how can we get this guy? I’ll bet money he is playing for the Diamondbacks in 2017.

I think I will work on a new lead that focuses on the Braves prospects playing in Arizona. Hey, got to do something to earn my salary around here.. 🙂

There is a small bit of Braves news to pass along. Well, sort of anyway…

Courtesy of Josh Norman, Baseball America:

After moving from Brevard County to Kissimmee, the team formerly known as the Manatees obviously needed a new name and identity.

On Wednesday night, they got both.

Presenting, the Florida Fire Frogs.

Besides the new name, the Fire Frogs have a new affiliate as well. After 12 years with the Brewers, the team signed a four-year Player Development Contract on Sept. 16. The Braves, whose high Class A affiliate played the past two seasons in the Carolina League, now have their high Class A club and spring training complex within 20 miles of one another. The Braves train at the Wide World of Sports on the campus of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

The name was chosen from fan submissions, which was pared down to a list of 6 finalists, those being Dragonflies, Toucans, Mud Kickers, Fire Frogs, Sorcerers, and Rodeo Clowns.

I’m guessing this country’s goofy fear and phobia of all things clown probably nixed that one even though the area has a long tradition and heritage in rodeo. I think that would have been a great choice. I like Mud Kickers, too. It was also an homage to the region’s rodeo ties. Personally, I’m glad Sorcerers was defeated. Dumb name. Toucans… weak. Dragonflies? Uh, not my favorite. But Fire Frogs? What the heck is a Fire Frog anyway?

Courtesy of Stephen Ruiz, Orlando Sentinel:

“If you look at minor-league baseball teams and names and things like that, it is one of those ones that you don’t really see a lot of frogs as mascots,’’ Fire Frogs President Joe Harrington said. “Since I have been living a short time in Florida, I have seen a ton of them.’’

Well said PresJoe. It certainly is “one of those ones”. Maybe there’s a reason you don’t see frogs as mascots. Ever think about that PresJoe?

The Fire Frogs are a combination of submissions by Karah Morrison of St. Cloud and Steven Strickland of Orlando to a name-the-team contest. Harrington said Strickland sent in 11/2 pages about frogs, including Puerto Rican tree frogs known as coquís. (How many pages is “11/2” pages? 5 1/2? How much can you say about frogs? Maybe supposed to read 1 1/2. Still, that’s alot about frogs. Maybe it was a big font. And why Puerto Rican tree frogs? Why not something indigenous to Central Florida… like Rodeo Clowns? Then again, now that I think about it, there are probably more Puerto Ricans in Florida than frogs.)

Morrison was pleased with the nickname.

“I originally submitted the Fireflies because they go together, but I guess they switched it on me,’’ Morrison said. “I’m OK.’’

They switched it on ya alright. Fire Frogs wasn’t even an actual submission, yet it won. Sounds like the DNC is involved.

But I’m straying off topic…

So it was a combination of 2 unrelated submissions. Then how has PresJoe seen a ton of them if they don’t really exist? Maybe he’s been chasing Pokemons? One of those ones, ya know.

Again, I’m straying off topic…

PresJoe said Fire Frogs received about 80 percent of the fan vote. Maybe those elections were rigged as a test run for the upcoming presidential vote. You know, Florida is the key swing vote.